‘Big heart for helping.’ Burleson resident has given over 100 gallons of blood platelets

Tami Ratterree drinks a lot of beer — and for a good reason. Apparently, it’s a good thing to do before donating blood platelets.

Oh, she also donates a lot of platelets. Over the past nearly five decades, in fact, the Burleson resident has donated 114 gallons of platelets to help others, mostly folks battling cancer.

”There is no scientific proof or rationale that can be explained, nor is in writing, but drinking a couple of beers the night before donating seems to increase the platelet count,” she said with a chuckle. “Some call it a myth, but for me it works. Of course, no one endorses this, but for me and others I know, it works.”

It takes about eight donations to reach a gallon of platelets. That means Ratterree, 64, has made roughly 912 donations in her life.

Ratterree started donating at age 15, not for a cancer patient but for a heart patient.

”My church softball coach had to have open heart surgery. It was announced that eight gallons of blood had to be replaced immediately. I did not hesitate to be one of those donors, though I had never donated blood,” she reflected. “At that time, I am told the only thing blood banks needed was a willing person with a ‘pulse and a heart beat and a good vein.’

”I was not asked my age and did not offer it. I only knew I wanted to be one of those eight gallon replacements for my coach.”

For some years after that, when her church, First Baptist of Grand Prairie, had a blood drive twice a year, she would donate. She did not keep track of her donations, but simply gave when there was a blood drive.

Expanding her sacrifice to cancer patients

Ironically, it was while trying to make a different kind of donation that she was led to donating entire platelets. According to the Red Cross, a single donation of platelets can yield several transfusable units, whereas it takes about five whole blood donations to make up a single transfusable unit of platelets.

”I continued donating blood until the early 1990s when there was a huge need for a bone marrow match for a young 2-year-old male at Fielder Road Baptist Church. Over 300 members attempted to be a donor match,” she recalled. “I then chose to donate blood for this same family in need. While I was donating, a blood center manager, Denise Porter, encouraged me to start donating blood platelets.

”I had never heard of this process. At this time, it took about two hours and both arms were used, one arm to take the blood and the other arm to get the return after the platelets had been removed.”

As technology has progressed, today it is only a one-arm procedure. Blood can be drawn, platelets removed and blood returned to the body in the same process.

Porter, a longtime friend and former Carter BloodCare employee, recalled being on hand when Ratterree reached a major milestone.

“Tami and I go back to the mid-’90s when I was the supervisor at Grand Prairie donor center. When she found out platelets went to cancer patients and Cook Children’s used a lot of platelets, she was all in,” Porter said. “She had a big heart for helping and is very dedicated to the platelet program.

“It was very exciting to see her hit the 100-gallon mark.”

Ratterree tries to donate every two weeks. She focuses on eating lots of protein, green vegetables, and red meat a few days before each donation. Drinking lots of water is vital as well.

”Donating is relaxing for me. I would much rather receive a slight ‘sting and stick’ in the arm every few weeks and help a cancer patient, versus dealing with cancer,” she said. “As a Christian, I believe this is a gift that God has given me and it’s my responsibility to share that gift with those that need it.”

Passing on a good deed

She’s also working to bring others onboard to donate with her, particularly young people. After all, starting young has served her well — and especially the many others she helped over the years.

”As any habit, it should be taught at a young age. Getting the word out to young people is probably easier today with all of the different social media outlets,” she said. “When I was a school teacher, taking a few minutes from each class and encouraging my students on my free period and at lunch in person was my only communication.”

While Ratterree has never met anyone personally who has received her platelets, who knows, if she keeps donating - and she has no plans to stop - that day may come.

”I will keep on giving until God calls me home,” she said. “I jokingly have told my family members, ‘At my celebration of life tell everyone in lieu of flowers, donate blood!’”