On the Road with a Lifesaving Load

Travels with a Red Cross Biomedical Transportation Specialist 

By Mariwyn Evans, Red Cross volunteer

When Donovan Caballero retired from teaching fifth grade math and science in 2020, he knew he wanted to find a way to pay back and make a difference in his community. He also knew he needed a volunteer job that would let him set his own schedule.   

“I wanted to continue substitute teaching, as well as have time for hiking, traveling, and spending time with family,” Caballero says.  “So, I sought an opportunity that gave me the flexibility to choose my own days to volunteer.”  He found his perfect match as a biomedical transportation specialist for the Tennessee Region of the American Red Cross.   

Caballero first learned about the Red Cross’s need for biomedical transport while volunteering as a Blood Ambassador at Red Cross blood drives, a volunteer job he still does.  “I check donors in and ensure they feel welcome and appreciated,” he explains. “I often run into former students or people in my neighborhood.”  

Once he’d learned about the transportation job through the local Red Cross website, it took about a couple of months to complete the qualification process. “The Red Cross did a background check and reviewed my driving record,” he says. Now on an average of once a week, Caballero signs up on the Red Cross Volunteer Connection website and choose the day and route that fits his schedule. 

On his selected day, he picks up a Red Cross truck, loads critical blood and blood products, and drives them to area hospitals and medical centers. On an average three-hour shift, he may make two or three stops, all carefully mapped out for him. “The Red Cross makes it very easy with directions on exactly where you need to go. Some of those hospital complexes are huge, and if it’s your first time delivering, it’s easy to make a wrong turn,” he jokes. 

Caballero also enjoys the personal “quiet” time he has when driving. “It gives me time to think and reflect on how blessed I am,” he says. “Or I can turn up the radio.  It’s very relaxing unless I encounter road construction.”  

Still, the greatest reward for Caballero is that he is making a difference. “The hospital staff is always so grateful, and there is such a critical need for blood today. I feel like I’m giving back something important to my community while still being able to do the other things I enjoy.” 

To find out more about how you can volunteer as a biomedical transport specialist, go to redcross.org/deliver.