90-Year-Old Blood Donor Reaches Milestone

Margaret Delfino, a 90-year-old great-grandmother from Bakersfield, California, has long had a mission to encourage as many people as possible to donate blood.

Now, she added a significant personal milestone to offer as inspiration: she recently gave her 200th pint at the local blood bank.

Delfino has been donating blood since 1954, although she had to take a five-year hiatus after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Greg Gallion, chief executive of Houchin Blood Bank, told the Bakersfield Californian that Delfino began giving again soon after her recovery.

"It's a testament to a remarkable woman," he added. Two hundred pints is equal to 25 gallons of blood.

When asked about her motivation for remaining so committed to her goal, Delfino explained that she wants others to realize that donating blood "can mean the difference between life and death" for some patients.

"She's just an inspiration to all of us," Jennifer Parks, Delfino's granddaughter, told CNN. "My children know where her interest lies and that is in donating blood."