Celebrating Blood Donors

During National Blood Donor Month, we’re sharing powerful stories that highlight the lifesaving impact of blood donations—from a father’s personal journey to a first-time donor’s experience.

Full-circle moment: Jonathan DeCoste gives blood to help others in need.

18 Years Later: Why Blood Donations Matter
CCHC Senior Blood Recruiter shares how donated blood helped save his son’s life.

When you walk into Jonathan DeCoste’s office at 60 Park St., nearly every inch of wall space is covered with black-and-white photocopies of blood donors—smiling faces representing lives saved over his 11-year career as senior blood recruiter for Cape Cod Healthcare.

But one image stands apart from the rest: a color photo of his newborn son, Jack, lying in a neonatal intensive care unit, surrounded by tubes, monitors and IV lines as he receives a blood transfusion—one of many blood and platelet transfusions that would be critical to his survival.

Today, Jack is 18 years old and doing remarkably well. As a senior at Plymouth North High School, he lives a full, active life, spends time with friends and has a deep love for animals. Though he has a pacemaker and avoids contact sports like football and hockey, most people would never know what he endured as an infant.

Jack was born with an undiagnosed congenital heart defect, Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return (TAPVR), a rare condition that requires immediate surgical intervention. Jonathan and his wife had experienced a normal pregnancy and had no reason to expect complications. But within minutes of Jack’s birth, it became clear something was wrong.

After being transferred from South Shore Hospital to Boston Children’s Hospital on his fifth day of life, Jack was rushed into open-heart surgery. What followed was an 83-day hospital stay—78 of those days spent in the NICU. During that time, Jack required multiple blood and platelet transfusions to survive.

“They didn’t think he was going to live,” recalls Jonathan. “We had last rites at the hospital. You don’t forget moments like that.”

Jonathan and his wife lived at the hospital for weeks, sleeping on cots and benches, listening to monitors beep through the night. When Jack was finally discharged, he came home on oxygen and monitors—bringing new anxieties with every alarm and sleepless night.

Jack as a newborn, during one of many critical blood transfusions.

At the time, Jonathan was already working in blood services. But becoming a parent on the receiving end of care changed everything and made him appreciate his career path even more.

“It gave me a completely different perspective,” he says. “I understood, firsthand, what it means when blood is there when you need it—and what it means when it isn’t.”

That experience deepened his commitment to his work and continues to shape how he talks about blood donations today. When Jonathan speaks to donors or community groups, he often shares Jack’s story to help others understand the real impact of giving blood. When Cape Cod Healthcare hosts blood drives at his son’s high school, Plymouth North, Jack will even step up and help his dad set up before school starts.

At home, life looks like many households with teenage boys. Jack and his younger brother, Thomas, wrestle and roughhouse—just typical sibling stuff. “He’s just a normal teenager,” says DeCoste. “Plays video games, enjoys watching TV, hanging with friends. He has a great sense of humor.”

Each time DeCoste looks at that photo on his wall, it serves as a reminder—not only of how far Jack has come, but why his work matters.

“As a parent of a child who needed blood, I know firsthand the importance of blood donations,” he says. “The blood was there when we needed it.”

Please consider donating blood. To make an appointment for the Nicholas G. Xiarhos Blood Donor Center at Cape Cod Hospital, please call 508-862-5663. To find a community blood drive near you, visit https://srt.capecodhealth.org/donorportal/

Matty B and Jordan DeSilva broadcast live from a blood drive at Mid-Cape Home Centers.

Coxswain Media Amplifies Cape Cod Healthcare Blood Drives

With music playing, microphones live and donors rolling up their sleeves, a recent blood drive at Mid-Cape Home Centers in South Dennis felt more like a community event than a routine stop. 

During National Blood Donor Month, Coxswain Media has once again teamed up with Cape Cod Healthcare to spread a lifesaving message: local blood donations save local lives. Throughout January, Pixy 103, Y101, Frank FM, and Koffee are highlighting blood drives on air, including a weekly live remote broadcast.

So far this year, the team has broadcast live from blood drives at Falmouth Hospital and Mid-Cape Home Centers. Upcoming broadcasts are planned for Thirwood Place in South Yarmouth on Jan. 21 and Mashpee Commons on Jan. 30, extending the reach of the Nicholas G. Xiarhos Blood Center across the Cape. We met up with the Coxswain team at the Mid-Cape Home Centers drive in Dennis, where the atmosphere was upbeat and welcoming as donors came through the doors.

For Pixy 103 FM radio host Matty B, the connection is both personal and powerful. “I grew up watching my father donate whenever he could, and I’ve been donating myself since I was 17,” says Matty B. “You really can be a hero in less than an hour.”

Jordan DeSilva, Coxswain Media social media manager and promotions assistant, echoed that sentiment, noting how meaningful it is to hear donors’ stories firsthand. “Every story is different, and every one is moving,” she says. “Once you’re settled in, it’s really not a big deal—10 or 15 minutes of your time. And beyond helping someone else, it can be a good way to check in on your own health. We’re not just broadcasting—we’re connecting with the community and giving back.”

By bringing the power of local radio directly to blood drives across the Cape, Coxswain Media helps amplify the voices of donors, inspire new ones and remind the community that sometimes the simplest act can make the biggest difference.

Lisa Connors of Marketing Communications donated blood for the first time earlier this month.

Behind the Blood Drive: My first time donating
After years of promoting blood drives, I finally rolled up my sleeve and discovered how easy it is to make a difference.

For years, blood donations have been part of my job, but not yet part of my own personal story.

As someone who works in Marketing Communications at Cape Cod Healthcare, I help promote blood drives by sharing monthly schedules with local media, town officials and chambers of commerce. I also stop by drives to meet donors, hear their stories and take photos for social media and The Pulse. Listening to why people give has always been inspiring and it made me curious about donating myself.

I turned my curiosity into action earlier this month during National Blood Donor Month.

While visiting the CCHC Blood Mobile at the Harwich Police Station on January 6, I decided to ask if they could fit me in, even though I didn’t have an appointment. They were happy to accommodate me. After some quick paperwork and review of blood donation information, I rolled up my sleeve and was assisted by blood donor specialist Krystal White, sterilized the spot on my arm before inserting the needle. From start to finish, the entire process went so smoothly and took about 30 minutes—far easier than I expected.

I did feel a little lightheaded afterward, but some bottled water and a selection of sweet and salty snacks helped me feel like my old self again. Since I have more of a sweet tooth, I chose Lorna Doone shortbread cookies!

It felt good to give back—and even better? I received a $5 Cumberland Farms gift card, which is perfect since I drink their iced coffee daily.

After I donated, I struck up a conversation with regular donor Susan Ward. “My husband once needed three pints of blood,” she shared with me. “So I know how important it is to donate.”

A few weeks later, my official blood donor card arrived in the mail—and I finally learned my blood type is A-negative, something I’d always wondered about!

Donating for the first time gave me a new perspective—and a deeper appreciation for the impact behind every blood drive. I look forward to donating again.