Retired Police Officer Goes for Lifesaving Achievement

Daniel Deane, a retired San Bernardino police officer, made a lifesaving achievement on Monday, March 30, when he rounded out the "starting five" of Lifestream blood donors to reach 100 gallons in blood donations. Deane, 66, joined Larry Bloemsma of Redlands, Bob Hitchman III of Highland, Vendy Martin of Highland and Bill Dodge of Riverside in LifeStream’s “100-gallon donor” club. Deane, formerly an officer with the Fontana Unified School District and San Bernardino City Unified School District, and now a reserve officer with the San Bernardino Police Department, donated platelets, which can be given up to 24 times per year. On March 30, Deane followed the same procedure all blood donors do each time they donate – registered with photo ID, then proceeded through the screening process and mini-physical to ensure he was healthy enough to donate. The preparation for his wife giving birth to their daughter in 1985 was the impetus for Deane to first give blood; years later, his wife’s battle with cancer led him to becoming a regular platelets donor. “I started donating in either late 1984 or ‘85 and over the next several years donated about 5 gallons of whole blood,” he recalled. “But in the early 1990s, when my wife was fighting cancer, I was seeing bags of platelets with labels of other locations on them. It seemed we needed more of those donations here, so I began giving 24 times a year from that point forward.” Why does he keep donating blood? “It’s just something I can do for the community,” he said. “There’s a need, so I’ll continue to give as long as I can. “I lost my first wife to cancer so I feel strongly about helping those in a similar circumstance.”