Cheryl Kohl
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.
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