AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin woman is celebrating a milestone that is helping Central Texans stay alive.
Maeve Cooney reached her 100th gallon of platelet donations on Friday at We Are Blood. She is the first woman to achieve a milestone at the donation center.
Cooney said her father was a regular donor and she donated blood as often as she could for 24 years.
“Medical science is wonderful. We can transplant organs, replace joints and corneas, and grow nerves, but so far there is no way to produce a blood substitute,” Cooney said. “Since people need it all the time, the only way to have a supply is for healthy people to provide it.” So here we are.”
Cooney said she never thought she would reach 100 gallons donated until she reached 50 gallons 11 years ago.
When asked if she was aiming for 200, Cooney said, “I’m not sure I’ll live long enough to donate another hundred, but it wouldn’t hurt to aim for it, right?”
She also helps breed and raise puppies before they are trained to become service dogs through Canine Companions.