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Carroll Sharp celebrates 150-gallon blood donation milestone
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Carroll Sharp could have a regular chair in the Blood Donor Center at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. He's been giving blood for more than 60 years, and recently reached a major milestone: giving 150 gallons of blood over his lifetime.
Sharp has been a volunteer at Mayo Clinic in Florida for more than 10 years and finds joy in helping others by donating.
"I saw a need, so I helped fill it," has been Sharp's motto whether it's donating blood, or as he did in 2017, donating a kidney to a stranger in need.
He is one of only a few donors to hit the 150-gallon donation mark. He marked the milestone, incidentally, on the National Day of Giving: a day in late November focused on generosity and gratitude for what's important.
"Carroll loves being a volunteer. It brings him great joy helping people," says Beth Montelongo, coordinator of Mayo Clinic Volunteer Services in Florida. "He is an extremely positive person, and that comes through in everything he does. His ability to donate blood for so many years is such a wonderful achievement."
After his milestone donation, Sharp was presented with a Mayo Moments Coin, which recognizes extraordinary staff members who go the extra mile to put the needs of the patient ahead of their own.
Laurie Ballasso, regional director at OneBlood, a nonprofit blood supplier, says Sharp's lifetime donations of 150 gallons could help up to 1,200 patients. "That is pretty amazing," she says, noting that patients count on the generous donations of donors like Carroll Sharp year-round.
Blood donor centers across the country note the ongoing need for donations and emphasize each donation helps save lives.
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