Back to Blood Recipient Stories

Day with Darrin

Darrin Grabski

On Saturday, May 19, 2007 the American Red Cross Utica collections site set aside a day to thank donors for continuous blood donations. The day not only gave the Red Cross a chance to give back to its donors, but it was also a time in which the donors got to meet one of the many recipients of platelet and whole blood transfusions they help to provide.

Darrin Grabski, from Westmoreland, N.Y., is a 5-year-old boy diagnosed with T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma just one year ago. Darrin and his parents, Dean and Bekki, attended the event where Darrin got the chance to meet some of the donors, volunteers and staff members who all work together to make his treatment less difficult. The day was filled with fun activities for Darrin and other children to enjoy such as face painting, balloons, clowns, sidewalk chalk and refreshments. Darrin also got the opportunity to shake hands with several of the donors, and take pictures with a few of the volunteers. “The donors and staff members were generous, appreciative and extremely happy to see the face that they were possibly helping,” said Bekki. Darrin is currently on week 46 of 104 in his chemotherapy treatments and is continuing to doing well, according to his mother. Darrin has only received one platelet transfusion and two whole blood transfusions thus far.

Bekki and Dean were also appreciative of all that the Red Cross did to honor blood donors. “The community, the American Red Cross, and its volunteers were absolutely overwhelming. It was amazing to see what complete strangers were willing to do for Darrin,” said Bekki. Darrin recently graduated from preschool in June, and according to his mother, is thrilled to start Kindergarten in the fall. When asked at school what his aspiration for a future career would be, Darrin said that he would like to be Steve Irwin’s successor, the Crocodile Hunter who passed away in September 2006. According to his mother, Darrin is a huge animal enthusiast, and is excited about an up-and-coming family trip to Australia.

Darrin also enjoys reading, and with the help of his parents has recently started a campaign of collecting books to give to children at the local Children’s Hospital. Before the books are donated, however, Darrin reads each book and gives the “Darrin Stamp of Approval.” “All of the books get a stamp before being sent to the hospital that says ‘Happy Reading, Darrin.’ We try to instill in him the importance of giving back, and this gives him that chance,” said Bekki.