Ryan Skalnek is well known as a third-generation Ford dealer in Lake Orion, Michigan, but what truly sets him apart is his blood.
He’s O-negative — the universal red-cell type — but he’s also negative for cytomegalovirus, or CMV, meaning he’s free of a virus that can be deadly to medically fragile infants. Those two factors make him one of the rare “Heroes for Babies” donors recognized by the American Red Cross — a distinction he didn’t know he had until a routine donation revealed the surprise.
His story comes at a critical moment as the Red Cross recently declared a national blood crisis on July 27, 2026, underscoring the importance of blood donors to help stabilize the blood supply.
“I go a lot more regularly than I used to because of that knowledge,” Skalnek said. “And I encourage anybody to at least try it. You might find out you have a special blood type. Even if it's not special, it's going to find a good home somewhere.”
This past June, Skalnek took that personal mission and scaled it up — opening his dealership as a blood-drive site in support of Ford Building Together, an initiative bringing together Ford, Ford Philanthropy, dealers, employees, products, and services, with the focus on making its communities stronger. His event drew 43 donors. More than half of them had never given blood before.
“That makes it hugely successful for us,” said Kelly King, CEO of American Red Cross Michigan. “We need our current donor base to continue to show up, and we need to get the next generation of donors involved and engaged in giving blood.”
Skalnek’s drive is one of 250 different dealer events this summer that Ford Building Together organized in honor of America’s 250th anniversary, including blood drives at dealerships across the country.
A National Crisis Raises the Stakes
The American Red Cross declared a national blood crisis for only the second time after its supply dropped by about 25% in June — largely because hospital demand ran 3,500 units per week above expectations.
“You can’t manufacture blood,” said King. “We need individuals to come forward and be willing to roll up their sleeves and provide that life-saving gift for someone in need.”
“You can’t manufacture blood. We need individuals to come forward.”Kelly King, CEO of American Red Cross Michigan
Summer often brings an increased need for blood for trauma care when people are traveling and participating more in potentially dangerous physical activities. At the same time, donations decline because families shift into vacation mode.
The need for blood is constant, so donations must be continuous. The American Red Cross says someone in the U.S. receives a blood transfusion every two seconds, so growing the pool of donors is vital to its mission.
Through close connections to their communities, the Ford dealerships have been particularly successful in drawing first-time blood donors. More than half the donors that came to Skalnek’s drive were first-timers, including a customer who just happened to be shopping for a vehicle.
A Special Blood Type
Like many people, Skalnek had never heard of CMV before donating blood in college.
It’s so common that an estimated 85% of adults have been exposed to it by age 40. The contagious virus is passed through bodily fluids. Most people have no idea they were infected because the virus often causes no symptoms, or only mild ones like a cold.
But in a blood transfusion, it can be fatal to someone whose immune system can’t fight it, like premature babies, cancer patients, and organ transplant recipients.
That’s why CMV-negative donors are rare and valuable, and why Skalnek has gone from occasional donor to committed regular since he found out what his blood can do.
As part of this latest drive, Skalnek especially wanted to draw new donors to fuel the next generation of givers, and with a little luck, find another person who is CMV-negative.
“Just to know you’re helping someone’s kid, it makes it a lot easier to make time in everyone’s busy schedule,” said Skalnek, a father of three. “All you’ve got to do is take an hour out of your schedule to make a difference.”
A Community Hub
Skalnek’s grandfather started their dealership in 1964 — the same year the Ford Mustang was introduced — and it has hosted many community events over the years.
“Car dealerships are a pretty visible businesses in a lot of communities, so I think it’s important to lead by example by hosting events like this,” Skalnek said. “I live here. I work here. My kids go to the parks here. We volunteer in the community. I think it’s important, especially as a family-owned business, to have events like this because they do help.”
“It’s important, especially as a family-owned business, to have events like this because they do help.”Ryan Skalnek, third-generation Ford dealer
Dozens of similar drives have already taken place at Ford dealerships across the U.S., and more than 100 additional events are planned.
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Skalnek hopes some of those drives turn up another person who, like him, walks in not knowing what they're carrying.
“At least try it,” he said. “You might be surprised what you find out about yourself.”
Holbrook Mohr is a contributing writer from Brandon, Mississippi.
