He is a Vietnam veteran, retired GM worker, college professor, husband for 55 years, a father and grandfather. And most recently, Ken Gembel, age 76, reached an impressive milestone. During his lifetime, he has donated over 100 gallons of blood!
Born and raised in Flint, Gembel grew up on Carpenter Rd. “I was there in 1953 when the tornado hit the Beecher area,” he remembers. “I was six years old and I saw it hit.” Gembel attended Catholic schools and graduated from St. Mary’s in 1965, then attended Mott Community College. In October, 1966, he was drafted into the Army. After his service, he returned to Flint in October 1968 and married his wife, Jeannie.
“I focus every day on helping those in dire need.” On March 19, 2024 Ken donated his 100th gallon of blood, increasing that number to 101 on April 30.
In 1965, Gembel began working for General Motors at the truck assembly plant. He started donating blood in the 70s and has been doing so ever since. “I did it one day and I’ve never stopped!” he exclaims. Currently, he donates three units of platelets 24 times a year. “That is the maximum you can give,” he shares. He retired from GM after 44 years.
Gembel donates his platelets at a major research organization, Versiti™ Blood Center of Michigan, located in Saginaw Township. “All the collected blood stays in Michigan,” he reports. Gembel is also an emergency driver for Versiti, delivering emergency blood to major hospitals in the area. He also volunteers at various blood donation drives. “I try to inspire people to donate.”
Ken proudly displays the pins he has received for each gallon of blood donated.
Every other Tuesday at 11am, Gembel can be found at Versiti Blood Center where he begins the donation process. “It typically takes about 110 minutes,” he states. The blood runs through a machine that extracts only the platelets and returns the blood back into his body. Platelets are tiny cells in the blood that form clots and stop bleeding. For millions of Americans, they are essential to surviving and fighting cancer, chronic diseases and traumatic injuries. Every 15 seconds someone needs platelets; they must be used within five days. A single donation often constitutes several transfusable platelet units. “There are a lot of restrictions for donating platelets,” he reports, adding that if you are on a blood thinning drug, you can’t donate.
Platelets are tiny cells in the blood that form clots and stop bleeding. For millions of Americans, they are essential to surviving and fighting cancer, chronic diseases and traumatic injuries. Every 15 seconds someone needs platelets.
Gembel didn’t really understand the value of giving platelets, which are life-saving for people who are undergoing chemotherapy or being treated for autoimmune disorders. “They have no white cells and they need the platelets,” he reports. He has met people who have been the recipients of his donations. “They thank me and tell me they wouldn’t be alive without it,” he says. “They cry, and I cry.”
Gembel gained much of his inspiration to give to the community from his father, who was a World War II veteran, a prisoner of war and recipient of five Bronze Stars. He is proud to wear the bracelet that his father wore when he was a prisoner of war.
Donating platelets has been very rewarding for Gembel and he works hard at staying mentally, physically, spiritually and morally fit so he can continue to do so. “I am really healthy,” he shares, adding that he starts each day by doing 110 pushups, reading the Bible and keeping up on current events by reading newspapers.
His goal is to continue inspiring and encouraging other people to become donors and make a life-changing impact on someone. “So many people do whatever they can to save lives and are focused on the greater good,” he says. “I focus every day on helping those in dire need.”
