Xenia man a hall of fame doner

XENIA — Lawrence “Larry” Turner of Xenia is among 12 blood donors nationwide named to the 2023 Fresenius Kabi Donation Hall of Fame.

Turner represents Solvita (formerly Community Blood Center) and joins the 25th anniversary class of the Hall of Fame three months after making his milestone 800th lifetime donation.

Turner currently has 804 lifetime donations, second only to Solvita’s top donor Wendell Clark, who is also a Hall of Fame member. Turner becomes Solvita’s 11th Hall of Fame inductee and the ninth in the last nine years.

“I’m proud and honored,” Turner said. “It’s been a long trip, but a long trip with a bunch of great people. I’m happy to help out. There are a lot who would like to but can’t. I’m fortunate that I could. It’s been a very heartening experience.”

Turner is 76 and routinely donates platelets or plasma twice a month. He has been an apheresis donor since the blood center’s early days of the procedure and served on its first apheresis advisory board. He captained “Life Leaders” blood donation teams at NCR before retiring in 2002 and worked in IT at the blood center until 2008.

Turner and his wife, Linda, have two children and five grandchildren. He has a passion for woodworking, and for helping others.

He was an American Red Cross volunteer for 20 years, traveling to disaster zones and working endless hours close to home during the 2019 Memorial Day tornado outbreak and the Oregon District shootings.

Turner retired from disaster volunteering in March because of a bad back. His last blood donation was on Sept. 15. For the first time in 56 years, he will step aside from donating to undergo back surgery.

“I’m not done yet,” he said. “I’ll give it time to heal. As soon as I can get back, I’ll be back. I can’t give up my cookies.”

Solvita will host an induction ceremony for Turner when he has recovered. A photo of Turner in his workshop will be featured in the Hall of Fame 2024 calendar. Hall of Fame sponsor Fresenius Kabi is a global health care company specializing in transfusion technology.

“Blood donation is a selfless, life-saving act, and this year’s inductees have made heroic contributions to bolster the blood supply, which is critically needed to care for patients, especially during the ongoing national blood shortage,” said Dean Gregory, president of Fresenius Kabi MedTech Global Commercial Operations.

Solvita inductees in the Fresenius Kabi Donation Hall of Fame include the Floyd Harris Jr. family of Dayton, top female donor Katie Ellis of Kettering, and posthumous inductee Wayne Wolfe of Brookville (2022); the Ivory family of Dayton (2021); youngest HOF member Theo Hale of Kettering (2019); Susan Leugers of Botkins (2017); top donor Clark of Eaton (2016); blind donor Turner Smith of Dayton (2015); John Kalaman, co-founder of the Officer John P. Kalaman Memorial Blood Drive (2006); and first inductee John Hosier of Hagerstown, Indiana (1999).

Blood donation requirements: Donors are required to provide a photo ID that includes their full name. Past Solvita donors are also asked to bring their Solvita donor ID card. Donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 years old with parental consent, form available at www.solvita.org or at the Dayton Donation Center and mobile blood drive locations), weigh a minimum of 110 pounds (you may have to weigh more depending on your height), and be in good physical health. The Food and Drug Administration changes blood donor eligibility guidelines periodically. Individuals with eligibility questions should email [email protected] or call 937-461-3220. Make an appointment at www.DonorTime.com.