By: V. Squires, American Red Cross Volunteer
Daniel Lambson was motivated to become a phlebotomist “to help people…to save lives.” That motivation, in part, stemmed from a personal experience. He tells of a high school friend who was in a car accident and needed 80 units of blood in the span of a week. Witnessing this gave Daniel a look into just how critical blood donations are when a patient is in need.
So, when it came time to choose an area of study in college, Daniel chose to study phlebotomy at Clark College. It was while he was there that he learned the Red Cross was hiring phlebotomists and applied. In January 2019, Daniel went to work for the Red Cross in Portland, OR which didn’t require a move from his hometown of Vancouver, WA. Until recently, he was a lifelong Vancouver resident.
In his free time, Daniel bowls semi-professionally. What began as something to do for fun with his lifelong best friend grew into participating in tournaments. Daniel’s girlfriend, a former competitive bowler, encouraged Daniel to up his game and now he bowls semi-professionally. She is his biggest fan!
As a Red Cross phlebotomist, Daniel draws blood at blood drives. He travels to a variety of locations within the service area. One of his favorite memories while working in Portland were the overnight trips to the Oregon Coast to work multiple blood drives. “After work, we hung out and I had a chance to bond with my co-workers,” explains Daniel. Those bonds grew and he now spends time with many Red Cross employees socially as well.
Daniel moved to Seattle in the summer of 2022, and now works at the Red Cross Northwest Region Headquarters in Seattle. There are no overnight trips for the Seattle blood drive team since their service area is predominately along the I-5 corridor.
Donors comment on how Daniel goes above and beyond in his job. Following his first experience giving blood with the American Red Cross, donor Colin Maxwell praised Daniel for his skill, work ethic and positive attitude. “He did an amazing job, and it didn’t even hurt to have the needle inserted,” said Colin.
What is Daniel’s secret? ”Provide excellent customer service and take a special interest in the donors,” he says. One of the things he likes best about his job is hearing the stories behind why donors give blood and identifying things he shares in common with donors. During his tenure in Portland, Daniel and a few frequent donors bonded as “giant Trailblazer fans”.
Daniel Lambson genuinely enjoys his job and it shines through in his attitude and professionalism. The next time you are at a Red Cross blood drive in Western Washington, introduce yourself to Daniel. It may make his day and yours.
American Red Cross NW Region 