National Blood Collectors Week: Tramel Ingram

It’s National Blood Collectors Week, and today we are spotlighting Tramel Ingram! Tramel is a Collections Specialist I, working at our Hubbards Lane east end location in Louisville. “It will be 11 years with the Red Cross on September 17^th,” said Tramel. “I started off on the road with blood drives as a Specialist II. I did that for 4 and a half years.”

Tramel is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and received her degree from Jefferson Community & Technical College. One of her favorite memories is helping a blood donor through their fear of donating. “She was very nervous. I helped her calm down and eased her spirit. I gave her some calming techniques and encouraged her to take deep breaths,” said Tramel. The blood donor needed surgery a few weeks later. “Right before her surgery, she came back in with a dozen roses for me. She really appreciated me making her feel comfortable,” said Tramel.

Outside of Red Cross, Tramel continues to impact people with her nursing skills. “I work at a methadone clinic. I enjoy helping others. My heart goes out to people, and I hate to see people suffer,” she said. “I’ve seen some success stories there. And some not so good. It’s heart wrenching when people are trying, and they fall by the wayside.” Tramel has been helping at the clinic for 5 years.

In her free time, Tramel loves to spend time with her family. She’s a twin and has 2 sons and 2 grandbabies. She is a Mary Kay consultant, loves to shop and go to church. When talking about her job at Red Cross, she says simply, “I love what I do. I love people.”