Local Coach's Life Saved

The need for blood doesn’t stop. It doesn’t get a Christmas vacation or a New Year’s off. It’s constant. But oftentimes with the hustle and bustle of the holidays, blood donations tend to drop. Donors are swept away by the good spirits the Christmas season brings, and even the usual donors stray.

But accidents still happen, hospitals are still full, and everyday citizens much like Southeastern Community Blood Center donors experience unfortunate incidents that leave them in need of blood. Danny Nennstiel, 37, an SCBC blood donor from Monticello, knows all too well how life-threatening accidents can happen unexpectedly.

On Oct. 29, Danny was bitten by a spider, and this seemingly simple incident resulted in an allergic reaction that destroyed many of his platelets – the blood cells that help control bleeding – at a life-threatening rate.

“I’m a P.E. teacher. I’m healthy. I’m a cross country coach – I didn’t get into a car crash,” he said. “A reaction to a medicine took me to the hospital. As a healthy person, you don’t expect this.”

What surprised Danny was that he felt fine. “I’d been camping that weekend and working in the woods and came home to see bruises and said something’s wrong,” he said.

Alarmed, Danny and his wife of 14 years, Debbie Nennstiel, the director of laboratory services for SCBC, visited the hospital. Their doctors tested his platelet count. According to Debbie, when a patient has a platelet count below 20, doctors will give the patient an immediate platelet transfusion. Danny’s count was 2.

“When they told me, I was dumbfounded,” Debbie said. “It was a very surreal moment.”

Danny could have died from the loss of platelets. Luckily, there were enough platelets available for him to undergo two transfusions.

Stories like the Nennstiels’ happen often. And because of the selfless acts of blood donors, these stories can have happy endings. Their story and countless others like it show that the most meaningful gifts don’t have to cost a lot of money.

“Part of why I do donate is I want blood to be there when someone I love needs it,” Danny said. “Don’t wait for a friend or family member to go to the hospital. By then, it’ll be too late. If I would have had to wait one more day, I would have died.”

Debbie agreed. “There was no forethought that we were going to need it - this came out from nowhere,” she said. “You never think it’ll happen to you.”

This December SCBC wants to remind donors of the reason they donate. It wants donors to remember the families that benefit from the selfless act of donating. The holidays are all about giving, and this season, everyone can achieve that “warm” feeling inside by giving a gift from the heart and not the wallet. As SCBC’s gift to donors, everyone who donates between December 10-21 will receive a charming ceramic snowman ornament.

“Christ sacrificed for us, and we should sacrifice for each other,” Danny said. “The technology we have today allows us to save lives, and what a great gift to give.”

Donating is a simple procedure. To be a donor, citizens have to be in good health, at least 17 years old (16 years old with a parent’s permission) and weigh a minimum of 110 pounds.

According to SCBC, less than 5 percent of the eligible population actually donates blood. For more information, contact SCBC at (850) 877-7181, (800) 722-2218. All locations are open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. The Riggins Road location is also open on Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. SCBC is closed Christmas Day.

If you would like to contact your nearest Health Department, click on one of the links below and find the one nearest you.

Florida Health Departments | Georgia Health Departments

Donations Save Local Coach’s Life in Time for Holiday