Gerald Doran of Phoenix (that’s southern Oregon, not Arizona) has saved more than 750 lives.

Yep, you read that right…750 LIVES.

Just this month, the hero donated his 257th unit of blood to the American Red Cross. And for donating 32 gallons of life-saving blood over 42 years, he gets a warm, fuzzy feeling and…a pin. But it’s a really special pin, I assure you. Or at least I hope it is.

Doran has been donating blood since 1956 and gives blood every 56 days, which is as often as he is allowed to. As he says, “As long as I’m healthy, I’ll keep giving. If they’ll keep taking me ’til I’m 100, I’ll keep giving!” You can read more about Doran from when the Medford Mail Tribune covered his 26-gallon milestone back in 2000.

I can’t say for certain whether this is record-breaking (at least locally), though it certainly could be. But according to Doran, the bottom line is that he enjoys giving and hopes to inspire young people to beat his record.

Feel free to give it a shot yourself by signing up for a blood drive here.

Photo by Jim Craven