Sofia Groves was diagnosed with Lupus her sophomore year of college. That led to serious health issues where she had to be hospitalized for 95 days. She was given a medication that unfortunately sparked an uncommon negative reaction within her body, causing her to have a stroke, leaving her in a coma for 2 weeks. In Sofia’s case, she needed platelets and plasma. Miller-Keystone Blood Center reached out to the community and with your help, Sofia received the vital platelets and plasma that she needed.“When you donate blood, you are quite literally saving a life. If people did not step up and donate blood, I would not be here today. Donating blood is the greatest gift you could possibly give anyone. Thank You.

Walking on Air After Every Donation

Cheryl has been giving blood for decades, but for her, it started as a friendly family competition. Fresh out of high school, she and her brother and dad would race to see who could fill the bag the fastest. Back then, donating was just something good to do; a simple act of kindness.

But about 15 years ago, everything changed. A friend confided that she had been a blood recipient. In that moment for Cheryl, it was like a lightbulb turning on. “I had read all the brochures,” she says, “but until I knew someone who needed blood, it didn’t really hit home.” Suddenly, the gift of blood wasn’t abstract, it was lifesaving. It was personal.

Cheryl continues to be a devoted donor. Every 10-14 weeks, you’ll find her at the Bethlehem fixed site, rolling up her sleeve. Sometimes she’s deferred for low iron, and she admits that makes her feel awful, like she did something wrong. But she never lets it stop her for long. “It’s the easiest thing in the world to do,” she says. “If you’re afraid of needles, don’t look. It’s really easy.” For Cheryl, donating is more than a habit, it’s a way to volunteer and make a real impact.

She even tried platelets once, in honor of her friend Serina, who was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). It was out of her comfort zone, but she gave it a shot because that’s who Cheryl is; someone who’s always willing to help and try something new. When she retires, she plans to keep giving back as a volunteer in the canteen. “I’d love that,” she says with a smile. “I’m a people person.”

Cheryl grew up in Allentown but calls Coplay home now. She works in the warehouse at Lutron Electronics, where she encourages coworkers to donate when the blood mobile comes to her workplace. “Even if you can’t find a good enough reason,” she jokes, “you get a paid break, and you’re doing something really good. And you get paid to eat snacks!”

Her life hasn’t been without hardship. Her mom passed away from lung cancer, and one of her siblings died of encephalitis. Through it all, Cheryl’s Christian faith has been her anchor. She sees blood donation as a way to live out her devotion, helping others in a tangible, life-saving way.

She’s an athlete at heart, too. You’ll often find her at Zumba in Whitehall, on a Wednesday night & on a Saturday morning, and until bad knees sidelined her 20 plus years ago, she was a volleyball regular. (She had both knees replaced two years ago and hasn’t slowed down since.)

Cheryl’s giving spirit shines brightest when she talks about the people behind the donations. Nancy, a friend from volleyball, was the first blood recipient Cheryl ever met. Then came Danielle, her supervisor at Lutron, whose daughter needed multiple transfusions. And Serina, whose fight with AML inspired Cheryl to try platelets. These faces remind her why she gives. “I feel like I’m doing something good,” she says. “I skip out of there after I donate blood, like I’m walking on air.”

For Cheryl, blood donation isn’t just a routine, it’s a calling. It’s proof that ordinary people can do extraordinary things, one pint at a time.

A Love That Lived Beyond Time

Penny first met Jack in the 1970s, and her world shifted. It wasn’t just his smile or the way he carried himself, it was his eyes. Kind, gentle, and full of quiet strength. She would later say it was love at first sight. Those eyes, she said, held the promise of a lifetime of patience, compassion, and unwavering devotion.

During their marriage, Jack worked as a customer service manager at AAA, a role that fit him perfectly. He was the kind of man who never raised his voice, who listened deeply, and who made people feel seen. Penny, a nurse from New Jersey, knew what it meant to care for others and she saw in Jack a soul who did the same, every single day.

They built a beautiful life together.

When Jack was diagnosed with leukemia, their world shifted again. It was a cruel twist of fate, but Jack faced it with the same grace and courage that defined his life. He underwent chemotherapy, and for a short time, the treatments worked. Platelet and whole blood transfusions gave him strength.

But the second round of chemo didn’t help. His oncologist at St. Luke’s gently told them there was nothing more they could do. Jack had about ten months left. So they did what they always loved, they went on a cruise.

On the last night of that cruise, Jack bent down to tie his shoelace and hit his head. It caused a cerebral bleed. Doctors said he needed surgery, but only if his platelets could be raised to 50. Thanks to several transfusions of platelets, his levels got high enough for surgery.

What many people don’t realize is that it takes 30 to 60 minutes to infuse just one bag of platelets and Jack received transfusions continuously from mid-afternoon until about
10 am the next morning. That means an extraordinary number of donors came together to help save Jack’s life and give the Kelleher’s more time together.

Even though the surgery saved Jack’s life in that moment, the doctors were certain the brain bleed would return and that it would take him before the leukemia ever had the chance to.

It’s a heartbreaking story, one filled with love, loss, and the cruel unpredictability of illness. But even in the midst of sorrow, there’s a powerful, inspirational message.

Penny got three more weeks with her soulmate. Three weeks of holding his hand, whispering love, and cherishing every breath. She says it clearly: “It’s only because of blood donors that I got those weeks. They gave me time with the love of my life.”

Jack passed away at age 71. Later, Penny’s sister would also battle leukemia and need transfusions. Penny herself at one time was a platelet donor, but now she gives financially to Miller-Keystone Blood Center, her way of saying thank you for Jack, for those three precious weeks, for every donor who gave without knowing the lives they touched.

Even now, more than ten years since Jack’s passing, you can still see how much Penny misses him. Her voice softens when she speaks his name, her eyes glisten with memories. He was her soulmate and that kind of love never fades.

This story is a tribute to Jack’s kindness, to Penny’s enduring love, and to the quiet heroes who give blood. Because sometimes, a pint of blood isn’t just a donation, it’s a gift of time, of love, of life.