Earlier this year, the Red Cross issued an urgent notice that the world was experiencing a severe blood shortage. In response, there was an uptick in donations: The number of donors giving blood increased by 9 percent, according to a report on its website.
This time of the year is stressful for a lot of people. Buying gifts can be excruciatingly tedious, not to mention expensive. But there is one gift that can benefit anyone and save lives: blood.
With the world always in demand, why not help your fellow human being and give a little blood for the holidays? It costs virtually nothing (save for some of your time) and you might get a free sandwich and an orange out of the deal. And besides, there’s a shortage with respects to blood types A, B, and O negative, according to a report published on the Red Cross website in August. Scott Edward, the District Director of Donor Recruitment at United Blood Services in Santa Maria, said that donating blood is still important and relevant, even though it’s common.
“Transfusion medicine for patients in need is still a relevant practice,” Edward said. “There have been advancements that have greatly limited the amount of blood somebody may need transfused, but there is still almost 4 million transfusions a year in the U.S. It’s still an important thing going on behind the scenes.”
Edward added that even though the practice has become more sophisticated in recent years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration still has no substitute for giving blood. This makes donors more important than ever.
Many people are answering the call to give blood. And while this is a good thing for people in need, Edward said there’s this constant challenge of having enough of the right type of blood on the shelf. And it’s not just blood, but plasma and platelets, too. Plasma is the pale-yellow, protein-rich liquid in which blood cells are suspended. It constitutes 55 percent of blood. Plasma is often used for transfusions when there’s a large amount of blood loss, and it can be processed to separate the proteins it contains. Platelets, on the other hand, are blood cells without a nucleus whose function is to help stop bleeding.
“We used to only talk about red cells, but we are talking about platelets, plasma, and blood—doctors use these three main components to interact,” Edward said.
A person can donate blood every 56 days and donate platelets every seven days, up to 24 times per year, according to the Red Cross.
There are eight major blood types. Type AB is the most universal and can accept any type, but cannot be donated into any other blood type but its own. More AB-type (both negative and positive) blood is needed for its plasma and platelets, Edward said. Type O, on the other hand, is a universal donor. Almost anybody can receive this type of blood.
“It’s become increasingly used more and more over the past four years in massive transfusion protocols,” Edward said.
Lucky for those in need of blood, some area schools recognize the importance of being a donor. Students at Nipomo High School can give blood to satisfy a part of the community service requirement to graduate.
The Sun caught up with two 2013 Nipomo High School graduates, Emily Velez and Devyn Brown, on the campus of Hancock College as they were heading to class.
Brown and Velez both gave blood to United Blood Services in Santa Maria. It turns out that they were low on iron the first time around, and their blood couldn’t be used. Brown said she wanted to give blood, even before it counted toward the community service requirement.
“I gave blood for nothing,” Brown said. “But I went back three more times. It felt good to give blood. If I had the ability to help someone, then why not?”
A situation like the one Brown initially had—not having enough iron so the blood is essentially useless to those in need—could serve as a deterrent for people wanting to give. But it’s not the biggest reason why people are so reluctant to give blood, at least according to Edward.
“Our biggest issue for people not giving blood is convenience,” Edward said. “Carving out that time seems to be the most difficult thing for people to give blood.”
But even if you’re willing, keep in mind that some things could prevent you from donating, such as travel to other parts of the world. Edward lists Mexico, East Africa, and the United Kingdom as examples because of the risk of certain diseases like malaria or mad cow disease. Donors who have traveled to these areas are deferred for a period of time; often, it’s up to a year. Donation centers are not equipped to test blood on the spot and are required to screen out donors for eligibility.
Other reasons could also make a potential donor temporarily ineligible for up to a year from the time of application, such as pregnancy, receiving a blood transfusion, surgery, or receiving tattoos or piercings.
There are also risk factors that could permanently make donors ineligible, such as having used illegal drugs with a needle, certain types of cancer, being a hemophiliac, or testing positive for HIV or AIDS. It’s easy to find out whether or not you can give blood. Just show up to a donation center and get screened. Donors must also be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds. Kids under the age requirement can always get their parents’ permission.
“Volunteer blood donors are the silent heroes who are donating behind the scenes,” Edward said.
Contact Staff Writer David Minsky at dminsky@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 11-18, 2014.
