Sharon Curole of Manchester (center) cuts the ribbon to celebrate the opening of the American Red Cross Blood and Platelet Donation Center in Amherst on Oct. 23. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 24 years ago, Curole has maintained her quality of life with antibodies from blood donations. Courtesy photo/American Red Cross

AMHERST – The American Red Cross recently celebrated the opening of its second blood and platelet donation center at 123 Milford Rd.

The Amherst location is the second Red Cross facility in New Hampshire that accepts platelet donations. Defined as “colorless cell fragments in blood that form clots and stop bleeding,” platelets are needed every 15 seconds and are only viable for five days, according to the Red Cross. Platelets are given to cancer patients as well as to those with chronic diseases.

During the Oct. 23 ribbon-cutting event, Sharon Curole of Manchester shared her story of how blood donations have allowed her to keep her quality of life.

One morning 24 years ago, she woke up and could not feel her left side.

After a battery of tests, Curole was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The diagnosis led to her being on five medications for the next 15 years.

“All five medications did not work for me,” she said, adding that basic household tasks became nearly impossible.

That was until her neurologist suggested intravenous immunoglobulin. After years of tremendous suffering, Curole had finally found a treatment that worked.

“I get antibodies from donated blood,” she said, adding that she receives IVIG at home every two weeks. “I want to hug every single blood donor there is. It means that I can stay out of a wheelchair. Imagine being in the hospital and being told that you need a blood transfusion, but sadly, they are out of your type of blood. It’s devastating. How do we remedy that? You come here. You donate.”

Andree Baylor-Lloyd, fixed sites director for American Red Cross Biomedical Services, said blood is needed every two seconds in the U.S.

“The blood products collected here can help accident and burn victims, heart surgery patients, organ transplant patients and those receiving treatment for leukemia or sickle cell disease,” she said. “To meet the growing and changing demands for blood products, this Amherst facility is one of many new blood donation centers the Red Cross is investing in across the country. This new site is a sister site to our Manchester Blood Donor Center and will provide lifesaving blood to more patients in New Hampshire, New England and beyond.”

When visiting the Amherst site, donors will also have the option of making a Power Red donation. During this procedure a specialized machine is used that safely allows donors to give two units of red blood cells while returning the donor’s plasma and platelets. Power Red donations are usually reserved for trauma patients, newborn babies, patients with sickle cell anemia and those suffering from blood loss.

“This new location in Amherst was strategic. It’s located between existing Red Cross Blood Donation Centers in Danvers, Mass. and Manchester,” said Stephanie Couturier, regional CEO of American Red Cross of Northern New England. “Through the generosity of blood donors, this site is expected to collect an additional 8,000 platelet units, which can only be collected at fixed site locations – and 6,000 red blood cell units annually after three years of operation. This increases our platelet collection by nearly 60 percent in New Hampshire.”

The site is open on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 7:15 p.m., Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.