TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa native is being recognized for donating his 20th gallon of blood.
Mario Nunez has been donating blood since he was 18 years old, and this month he reached a donation milestone that not many attain. Nunez brought in balloons and cake to celebrate with his loved ones as he donated his 20th gallon of blood.
“Sharing my power today is what I’m doing,” Nunez said.
Nunez has O negative blood — a universal blood type that’s commonly used for emergencies and traumas. Now 65 years old, he has potentially played a part in saving thousands of lives.
He said the entire journey began with a brotherly challenge.
“It was sort of on a dare,” Nunez said with a laughed.
But instead of moving on after the dare had passed, he stuck with it.
“I started to sort of realize the merit in it,” he said.
According to One Blood, less than 5% of Hispanics donate blood. And having blood from diverse backgrounds is important.
“For example, sickle cell patients who have to have regular transfusions,” said One Blood spokesman Pat Michaels. “They need people who match their backgrounds in a lot of cases. So that’s why we emphasize if you’re African American, if you’re Hispanic, if you’re Asian, every walk of life, because we’re more likely to find that match.”
Nearly 60% of Hispanics have Type O blood, like Nunez. The blood type is in the highest demand for emergency patients. Over the years, his donations have helped his mom when she had surgery, and his dad, who is a cancer survivor.
Both joined him to celebrate his 20th gallon of blood donation. The pomp and circumstance was as much for his parents as for him — Nunez decided to donate the 20th gallon on their wedding anniversary.
“I figured, since my donation saves lives, I wanted to commemorate them," he said. "Because those two lovely people gave me life,."
Nunez said he is already planning for his next milestone — 25 gallons.
And next time, though, he said he wants a parade.