Red Cross asks for donors
By: Mae Rhine
Managing Editor?
The sun is shining, and people’s thoughts are geared toward vacations and other summertime activities.
It’s the time of year the Red Cross and other blood donation-gathering organizations dread because "it’s so easy to forget that blood donations are needed every day," says Malayna Johnson, communications manager for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Red Cross.
"Seasonal shortages (of blood) often come about during the summer and winter holidays," she says. One reason is that the need often increases during the summer.
During the summer, she explains, "More people are out and about, and there’s more injuries, and at the same time, the number of donations tends to decrease. The weather’s gorgeous, people are on vacation, so it’s easy to forget donations are needed every day."
She adds, "Giving blood is safe, easy, and it saves lives. Every donation you make can help as many as three critical patients in your community."
In New Jersey, Ms. Johnson notes, the need for blood outpaces what’s actually given.
"Folks in New Jersey aren’t donating as much blood as is needed," she says.
Anyone 17 or older, in good health and weighing at least 100 pounds may donate, she points out.
"Almost anyone can do it," she says.
In New Jersey, anyone’s who is 17 must have a parental consent form signed by a parent or guardian before donating.
"That’s important," Ms. Johnson says. In Pennsylvania, 17-year-olds don’t need parental permission.
While AB negative blood is the most rare, the most common, O, is needed desperately. That’s because O negatives are "universal donors," she says, meaning their blood may be given to anyone, regardless of their type.
And O positive, being the most common, "is needed a lot as well."
A person may give whole blood donations every 56 days. Those who donate platelets – blood is made up of red and white blood cells, platelets and plasma – through the pheresis program generally can give every two weeks.
The whole blood donations takes about an hour with paperwork, a brief physical – temperature, blood pressure, etc. – a blood test of the iron level and 10 minutes for the actual donation. The process of separating the blood takes up to two hours because the red blood cells are returned to the donor through another IV.
Once blood is donated, it is checked for seven different diseases, including AIDS and hepatitis.
Anyone interested in donating blood may call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or a local Red Cross chapter.