What started off years ago with giving blood when Murl McGrane could get there to give, became a very personal experience in 1968 when his son, Tim, died within six months of finding out he had leukemia, cancer of the blood.
Tim received countless pints of blood to help him survive for those six months, and at that point McGrane knew it was something that he had to do. He had to try to give back to those in need of blood, for what others had done for his son, by giving blood whenever he could, always hoping to be able to help and maybe be a part of saving someone's life.
It started in 1968, 39 years ago, when McGrane gave as often as he could going to whatever town he had to go to give. In 2007, at the age of 86, giving his last pint to make it a total of 16 gallons which equals 128 pints that he has given, he said he thinks it is time to say enough.
"I have helped a lot of people," McGrane said. "And I hope that others will continue to make the choice to help others by giving blood when they can and as often as they can."
McGrane has lived in Bluffton since 1949 with his wife Kathleen. They have been married for 58 years.
