TYLER (KYTX) - An East Texas blood donor's name is going down in the history books.
Charles Long has saved more than 824 lives. To put that in perspective, that's more people than the population of Noonday.
"Just jab me, who cares," laughed Charles Long.
Charles Long likes to joke with the staff at Carter BloodCare in Tyler. They're practically family.
He's sat in one of their chairs 412 times.
"It's something the community needs and I don't mind doing it. I've got time. I make time," said Long.
Mr. Long said he started donating blood when he was 18. More than half a century later, he's still doing it.
"He's been coming into our blood center since 1976," said Bob Mauldin, Carter BloodCare.
Mr. Long is dedicated to giving platelets, which are found in the blood. Platelets are in high demand for cancer patients.
Ron Keeley suffers from a cancer called Multiple Myeloma. The cancer has made his bones brittle and causes him to bleed easy.
"I have things like this that are just from bumps and scrapes and most people don't get this type of thing," said Keeley.
He depends on the platelets from blood donations to help his blood clot.
"WIthout it, I probably wouldn't be here talking to you. It's that important," said Keeley.
Mr. Keeley said he depends on people like Mr.Long. He wishes more would follow his example.
"It's only something we can give our fellow man and it doesn't cost a thing, but you save a lot of lives doing it," said Keeley.
Charles Long has saved 824 lives since 1976. But, he estimates it's probably over a thousand since he started giving blood in the 1950s when he turned 18.
Now, he's being honored for giving the gift of life. He's even come up with a motto.
"We live to give," said Long.
His gift is keeping others alive, like Ron Keeley, every single day.
http://www.carterbloodcare.org/
