Minnesota State Troopers make special life-saving delivery

Minnesota State Patrol helps transport life-saving blood nearly 200 miles

ST. PAUL, Minn.  When you hear sirens and see flashing lights, you might think you're about to get pulled over.

But not all squad cars with sirens activated mean traffic trouble — sometimes it's a dash to make a delivery.

Minnesota State Patrol troopers have many duties, including a very specific and unique one.

"We were dispatched for call for service to do a blood run," said Trooper Deanna Wayne said.

Wayne was on a mission to get life-saving blood, specifically platelets from the Red Cross in St. Paul to a patient at a hospital in Morris.

Wayne and six others jumped into action forming a 170-mile relay from the metro to west central Minnesota.

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The call came in just after 8 a.m. on Jan. 25, that a patient needed platelets.

Matthew Fahning with the Red Cross says this collaboration with the Minnesota State Patrol is crucial, especially when smaller hospitals don't have platelets on hand in a dire situation.

"It's not a product that has a long life on it and we need to get it to the patients in fast manner," Fahning stated. 

Platelet donations have a five-day shelf life.

In Wayne's dash cam you can see her take off, and then hand off the life-saving supplies.

Between her and a half-dozen other troopers, the trip took just two hours thanks to a high-speed, life-saving relay.

"That relay system works for them, works for us, and works for the patient," Fahning said. "It's a well-oiled machine."

The patient who received the platelets did not want to do an interview, but they wanted everyone to know the good news: Since getting that donation, they're doing better and they're out of the hospital.

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