As San Diego Blood Bank celebrates its 75th Anniversary, we’re reflecting not only on milestones in innovation and growth, but also on the people whose lives and dedication define our mission. Every patient, donor, volunteer, and staff member has shaped the story of who we are today.
Here are three stories that highlight the heart of San Diego Blood Bank—leadership, resilience, and dedication.
Leading with Vision: CEO Douglas Morton
Douglas J. Morton, Chief Executive Officer of San Diego Blood Bank, has dedicated his career to ensuring patients always have access to blood and biotherapies when they need them most.
Douglas first joined San Diego Blood Bank as Director of Information Technology, combining his background in computer science with a deep commitment to service. Over time, his leadership and vision brought him to the helm as CEO, where he has overseen both growth and transformation.
Under his leadership, San Diego Blood Bank has expanded operations to 10 fixed-site donor centers across Southern California and hundreds of community blood drives each year. Douglas has championed safety and innovation, including advancements in precision transfusion medicine, which help hospitals better match donors with patients for improved outcomes.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Douglas guided San Diego Blood Bank through one of the most challenging times in its history. He ensured that blood collections for hospitals continued without interruption, implemented safety measures to protect staff and donors, and led the launch of COVID Convalescent Plasma (CCP) collections, which provided critically ill COVID-19 patients with a new tool in their fight against the virus.
Douglas also supports programs that extend San Diego Blood Bank’s reach beyond hospital walls. The launch of LA DROP (Los Angeles Donor Response Operations Partnership) brings blood products directly to patients at the scene with emergency medical teams. Through membership in the Blood Emergency Readiness Corps (BERC), San Diego Blood Bank now also stands ready to provide blood nationally when large-scale emergencies occur.
Douglas’s vision has always been forward-looking: building on 75 years of legacy while preparing the organization for the next 75. His steady leadership continues to strengthen San Diego Blood Bank’s role as both a regional and national lifeline.
Strength Through Transfusion: Kamila’s Story
Kamila lives with hemoglobin E beta thalassemia, a severe inherited blood disorder that prevents her body from producing enough healthy red blood cells. To stay strong, she requires blood transfusions every few weeks at Rady Children’s Comprehensive Thalassemia Center, where San Diego Blood Bank provides the carefully matched blood she depends on.
Kamila received her first transfusion as an infant, and blood donation has been part of her life ever since. Each visit to the clinic includes several hours of lab work and treatment, supported by a care team that knows her well. Transfusions give Kamila the energy to go to school, spend time with friends, and enjoy many of the same experiences as her peers. She also manages her condition with medication to reduce iron levels caused by frequent transfusions.
Through programs like Precision Blood™, we’re using genetic and molecular testing to help improve how hospitals match blood donors with patients like Kamila—giving more patients access to the best possible transfusion outcomes.
Through it all, Kamila has shown remarkable resilience. She and her family have turned their journey into advocacy by working with San Diego Blood Bank as a member of our Team Survivor ambassador program to raise awareness, organizing blood drives, and helping to restart the California chapter of the Cooley’s Anemia Foundation. Their efforts connect more people to the importance of donating blood and supporting research.
In April 2024, Kamila was part of an extraordinary moment. Normally, blood recipients never know whose donation they receive due to strict confidentiality. But after years of careful coordination, Kamila and her family had the rare opportunity to meet a small group of her actual blood donors. These were the people whose blood had directly sustained her life. The meeting, years in the making, was an unforgettable reminder of the real human connection between donors and patients.
Kamila’s story illustrates the truth at the heart of San Diego Blood Bank’s mission: every donation matters. Thanks to the generosity of donors, she is not only living with thalassemia but thriving with strength and hope for the future.
A Legacy of Dedication: Candy
Candy Yolles has spent years giving back to her community through blood donation, volunteer leadership, and advocacy. Her tireless efforts earned her national recognition as a 2021 inductee into the Fresenius Kabi Donation Hall of Fame, an honor that celebrates individuals across the country for extraordinary commitment to blood donation.
Since 2008, Candy has hosted Candy’s Friends and Family Blood Drive in Pacific Beach, acting as the primary chairperson for more than 50 blood drives. What started as a community gathering to donate together has grown into a lifesaving tradition. Over the years, she has recruited more than 150 first-time donors and helped collect more than 1,000 pints of blood—saving thousands of lives. Candy is also a proud Guardians Circle member, steadily working toward her four-gallon milestone.
Her leadership proved especially critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time when public uncertainty threatened the blood supply, Candy immediately rallied donors, showing her community that donating was both safe and essential. Thanks to her advocacy, patients continued receiving the blood products they needed for cancer treatments, blood disorders, and emergencies.
Candy’s story is more than one of personal generosity — it’s about multiplying impact. Through her example, she has created new donors, inspired lifelong commitments to giving, and shown what it means to be a true advocate for community health.
Her journey reflects the strength of San Diego Blood Bank’s mission: volunteers and donors, working together, ensure that hope and healing are always available when patients need them most.
Shaping the Next 75 Years Together
Douglas’s leadership, Kamila’s resilience, and Candy’s dedication are just three examples of the countless stories that make up San Diego Blood Bank’s history. Each donor, patient, volunteer, financial supporter, corporate partner, and staff member plays a role in ensuring that our community has what it needs to thrive.
As we look to the future, our commitment is clear:
- To continue expanding access to blood donation across Southern California.
- To advance precision transfusion medicine for better patient outcomes.
- To strengthen collaborations like LA DROP and BERC to ensure lifesaving blood is always ready when and where it’s needed.
- To inspire new generations of donors and volunteers to carry this mission forward.
For 75 years, San Diego Blood Bank has been more than a blood center—it has been a lifeline built by people, for people. And as we celebrate this milestone, we know the next 75 years will be written by the same spirit of generosity, service, and innovation.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we save lives.
