By Molly Carnell
American Red Cross Utah/Nevada Region Volunteer

Long-time Red Cross blood donor Gary Norton has been dedicated to helping others since he first started giving blood in the 1960s. Through that commitment, Norton recently hit a milestone, donating his 200th unit of blood – that’s a whopping 25 gallons -- and potentially helping to save the lives of some 600 people. 

“I have something flowing through my veins that can help save someone’s life,” says Gary, an 84-year-old Utahn who has donated blood for the last 60 years. “How selfish would I be to not share my blood with someone else.”

Norton has “O positive” blood, which means it can be transfused to anyone with a positive blood type. His most recent donation went to a Las Vegas hospital. “It feels great that I have made a difference,” Gary enthuses. “How many people can say that they’ve potentially helped save 600 lives!” 

Gary is unassuming about most things, except
His passion is off the charts when he talks about the power of blood donation. He says it is a feeling he knows well -- since the first time he donated in his late 20s at a Red Cross drive at his Provo church. “The process now is essentially the same: there’s the blood pressure cuff, cleaning off the arm, and drawing the blood. Well, the phlebotomists keep getting younger and younger,” Gary laughs. But the most important aspect of blood donation stays the same, Norton stresses.

“As much as science and technology have advanced, creating blood is still not possible,” Norton says. “The only way to get blood is from a human being. You cannot open a bottle in the medicine cabinet for it. I’m trying to get people to catch that vital vision.”

It’s true that transfusable blood and platelets cannot be fabricated and can only come from volunteer donors, making contributions like Norton’s vital. The Red Cross estimates that someone in the United States needs blood or platelets every two seconds. “Everyone knows someone who has received a blood transfusion,” he says. 

A hero who wishes he had done more
“Catching the vision” is a popular subject for Gary. For him that has meant blood donation that began in the 1960s; donating on a regular basis, about every 56 days, began about 40 years ago. He says he wishes he had started donating regularly decades earlier. “I have donated for 60 years, but in hindsight, I wish I had caught the vision earlier because I could have doubled the amount I’ve donated.”

At a store recently wearing a Red Cross shirt, as he often does, Gary says a man in his 30s told him he also donates blood every 56 days. Talking further with the younger donor, Norton learned this man had donated blood for about seven years. “I said, ‘I’m going to challenge you to beat my record. I’ve donated 200 units of blood,’” Norton recounts. “His eyes got as big as can be, and I said, ‘when you’re 84, you could get to 300 units!’”

Norton knows that donating blood is a simple way for eligible people to make a valuable contribution to their communities, as a single donation can save many people. In his 70s, he coordinated Red Cross blood drives for his local The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregations. Gary says he has always wanted to do something to help others. “I didn’t want to be a doctor or a police officer,” he admits, so he was certified as an emergency medical technician in his youth and joined the volunteer ambulance association in Pleasant Grove.

He first began donating at mobile blood drives at his local congregations in the Provo area, then in Murray for some 20 years, and he has been donating in Orem for about two decades. At the Red Cross Orem Blood Center, all the phlebotomists know him. “We’re on a first-name basis. Three of them have been there all this time, one just retired,” Norton says.

Awarded the 2018 Red Cross ‘Gift of Life’ for lifelong commitment to blood donation, Gary has experienced many more benefits
Through the years, he has received many tributes to his commitment. He has numerous donor T-shirts, which his wife stitched together into a quilt to honor his dedication. In addition, he has a vast collection of Red Cross blood donor pins. “Back in the 1990s, the Red Cross used to give out holiday donor pins” he recalls. “And because you can only donate every 56 days, it took me several years to get all those holiday pins. I was told I was still probably the first person in the country to do that.” Gary says his favorite blood donor pin commemorates the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympics.

“I’m in good health at almost 85 years old, and that proves to me it’s not only a benefit for the person receiving my blood, but also a benefit to me for donating blood on a regular basis,” Norton says. He may be onto something. According to MD Anderson Cancer Center, screenings at blood donations provide you with important health information in between doctor’s visits, such as revealing high blood pressure or anemia, as well as the known mental health benefits of helping others. According to Columbia University, regular blood donation can lower blood pressure and lower the risk of a heart attack.

The need never stops. Just like Gary
The Red Cross estimates that someone in the United States needs blood or platelets every two seconds. The American Red Cross supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood supply and has unfortunately seen a sharp decline in donations in recent months. “The need is real and has life-and-death consequences for our community,” says Heidi Ruster, Utah/Nevada region chief executive officer of the American Red Cross.

Gary shows no signs of stopping and says he will continue to donate blood at the Orem Blood Center for as long as he is healthy enough to do so. He encourages everyone who’s healthy and eligible to do the same.

“I’d like to challenge those who can donate to catch the vision of what this is all about,” Gary says. “Sixty-two percent of Americans can donate, yet only three percent do. I am trying to motivate everyone who can donate to donate,” he stresses. “Blood is running through our veins every day. It must come from us -- it’s one thing we can do.”

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.