‘I did it to help someone.’ Olathe woman marks 207th platelet donation

Gwen Hutton has been giving the gift of life for more than 50 years, yet this Olathe resident says she’s the one who has been rewarded.

Hutton’s regular gig of donating platelets about every two weeks has created friendships so strong that the time needed to make a donation feels more like catching up with family.

“I look forward to it,” says Hutton, who this March at Olathe Medical Center made her 207th platelet donation. “It’s like a social hour. The staff has become friends and family. It does feel like we are related.”

Hutton, who turns 80 in June, also has given 100 whole blood donations during her lifetime.

“It takes years of time and commitment from our donors to reach milestones like Gwen’s,” says Chelsey Smith, outreach and communications coordinator, donor recruitment, at the Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City.

“The sheer number of donations she has made over the years is reflective of her incredible dedication to the well-being of patients in our local hospitals.”

Hutton became interested in donating blood while she was in her 20s through a friendship with Margaret Deshler. Both women worked at the Delco Battery plant in Olathe. Hutton worked in the accounting department and Deshler was the plant’s nurse.

Deshler is a noted figure in Olathe’s history. She was a leading member of the Olathe Registered Nurses Group who was instrumental in getting the Olathe Hospital built in the early 1950s.

Hutton has a succinct response as to why she began donating blood.

“I did it to help someone,” she says. “It’s good to help someone.”

She kept on donating, only missing on occasion for illness. Her donations continued when she moved to Jefferson City in 1982. While there, Hutton even helped organize blood drives.

There were differences through the years, she says. For example, in Jefferson City donors were asked to sit on an uncomfortable rigid examination table. And instead of an array of sweet treats that are traditionally given to those who donate, it was potluck in Jefferson City.

“They would bring sandwiches and other food for us. Actually, you never knew what you were going to get,” says Hutton with a slight laugh.

When Hutton moved back to Kansas City area in 1998, she was told she had something different to give than blood: platelets.

“They said that my platelet count was so very high and rich that they much prefer for me to do this,” she recalls.

Hutton donated blood a couple of times more so she would reach the milestone of 100 blood donations, and then she began donating platelets.

Donating platelets is different than donating blood. It’s a lengthy process because when a person donates platelets, blood is removed from one arm, then a centrifuge separates out the platelets, and the rest of the blood is returned to the donor through the other arm.

Smith says platelet donation is big commitment. One whole blood donation takes about an hour, but a platelet donation takes an average of 2 1/2 hours.

“That’s 100 hours of her life that Gwen’s spent donating blood. Gwen has completed over 200 platelet donations. That’s at least 500 hours of her life that she’s spent donating platelets, for a total of 600 hours overall,” Smith says.

“Almost a full month of her life has been spent in service to the patients in our local hospitals.” Smith says.

Hutton has given elsewhere as well, often volunteering through her church. She headed up the Olathe Meals on Wheels from 2000 to 2014, being paid only in the last year of work.

She’s inspired her children. For example, her daughter’s visit last Thanksgiving coincided with a scheduled donation. So, while Hutton was donating her platelets, her daughter donated blood.

“It’s very satisfying because you have helped so many people, especially children. I have been told that three people can benefit from one bag,” Hutton says. “Someone needs this and if it was me I would want someone to come forth and do this.”

Smith says Hutton’s story is easy to share.

“We can’t brag about our donors enough,” Smith says. “People like Gwen are invaluable to our mission and without them, we couldn’t save lives.”

This story was originally published March 18, 2020 at 11:15 PM with the headline "‘I did it to help someone.’ Olathe woman marks 207th platelet donation."