UK Hospital PICU nurse wins KBC Jamaican getaway

26 year old PICU nurse Kelsey Michel won a Jamaican getaway on Thursday after entering a drawing hosted by the Kentucky Blood Center

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) The Kentucky Blood Center announced its Summer Getaway Giveaway winner on Thursday, which is part of an effort to help boost supply that tends to slow down during the summer.

The winner is 26-year-old Kelsey Michel, a pediatric intensive care unit nurse at U.K. Hospital.

While the drawing was random, the Blood Center says they couldn’t have picked a better person.

As a nurse, Michel says she frequently gives blood transfusions to young patients.

“I know the critical need for blood both for patients and throughout hospitals in Kentucky, so that’s why I have always continued donating.”

Michel was selected as the winner out of nine thousand other entries from people who gave blood from May 23 through July 4.

As part of her prize, she won a vacation to Jamaica.

Mandy Brajuha, Vice President of External Relations for the Kentucky Blood Center says the reason for adding a vacation this year was to increase the incentive to give blood.

“We added a Jamaican vacation getaway to the first part of summer, hoping to get people out once early in the summer and then encourage them to come back out again to get entered to win the car twice.”

The Kentucky Blood Center says summer is traditionally a slow time of year for donations that is combined with an ongoing nationwide shortage. That’s why Brajuha says they still need help.

“The summers are particularly a hard time for blood centers across America. People are on vacation, they’re away from work, schools are out of session, so we’re not holding as many blood drives as normal.”

There is still a chance to win a 2022 Toyota RAV4 if you donate by September 10. Donors must be 18 years or older to enter.

The Kentucky blood center has eight different donor locations in six different cities, which means there is plenty of opportunities to give.