Mike Temple

Mike Temple remembers when he first found out what blood type he was. It was during a college biology class when he learned he had type AB negative coursing through his veins. Your blood is classified as type A, B, AB and O, and as Rh positive or Rh negative. Having type AB negative blood puts Temple in a pretty select crowd, because only 1 percent of the U.S. population has that blood type.

Temple took that fact into consideration and began to donate regularly for the next several years. An IBM employee since 1978, Temple is a regular at the Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Center located on the IBM campus. When he learned he had cancer in 1991, Temple had to take a break because his treatment made him ineligible to donate. But the cancer failed to shake his commitment. After his health returned and he found that he became eligible to donate again, Temple came back to the donor center and picked up where he left off.

"I know the need is there," says Temple. "I have a rare type and plan to donate as much and as long as I can."

One aspect of donation has changed for Temple over the years. When he first got started in college, Temple donated whole blood. Later, he was able to donate where he works, at the blood donor center located on the IBM campus. In 2005, Temple received a letter from the donor center asking whether he would like to donate plasma because type AB plasma could be used to help many people. Plasma helps blood to clot, and the plasma collected is commonly given to patients whose livers do not work, patients with burns and patients with severe bacterial infections in their blood. Donors who are blood group AB are special plasma donors because their plasma can be given to people who have any of the other blood types. Because of this, type AB plasma is frequently in short supply.

To donate plasma, Temple now does what's called automated donation, where the liquid portion of the blood (plasma) is collected and the remaining blood components are returned to the donor. It takes a little longer than whole blood donation, but Temple enjoys passing the time by watching one of the many movies available at the Blood Donor Center. Temple notes that the actual time required for plasma donation is shorter than a typical movie's running time, so he sometimes catches the ending at a later date.

What would Temple say to others who haven't tried donating yet?

"It's easy. It doesn't hurt much, and it's a great way to help other people. I think it's just part of your duties as a person. The nurses in the donation centers are warm, caring people who have a great sense of humor to help you feel at ease."