A constant need - blood shortages always an issue during holiday season
“The time to think about preventing blood shortages is now, before the shortage becomes a reality,” said Pat Lang, local American Red Cross representative.
Lang realizes that donating now and keeping the inventory up can help prevent shortages later on during the cold winter months.
“Donating whenever a donor can donate is very important to the blood supply and inventory,” she added. “Putting forth the effort when we are able to donate can eliminate a shortage later on.”
Katy Berger, Red Cross communications associate, agrees with Lang and said that many times during the winter and holiday months the blood supply can suffer.
“You can give the greatest gift by just coming out to donate blood or platelets through your American Red Cross,” Berger said. “Blood donating only takes about an hour and can help save up to three lives. That is amazing, that in just one hour you can actually impact three people’s lives and their family’s lives as well. It really is a simple way to help someone, and it’s a necessary product for so many medical procedures.”
According to Berger, every day of every season, hospital patients need blood or platelets for cancer treatments, lifesaving surgeries, or emergency care related to accidents or trauma. Unfortunately, during the holidays, it’s easy to get distracted with all the festivities of the season, traveling, baking, shopping and other tasks we find at hand. In addition to the holidays, snow falls, winter weather and the cold can also keep people indoors and make blood drives unsuccessful.
“About 38 percent of the population is eligible to donate blood,” Berger said. “Of those eligible, only a tiny fraction ever give blood. All blood types are always needed, but type O is in very high demand most of the time since it can be given to patients with any blood type such as A, B and AB. Giving blood is so important and we encourage everyone to consider giving this awesome gift of life. Believe it or not, about five million patients received blood products from volunteer donors just last year and every year there are millions of people that need blood.”
During the winter months, when it is cold outside and people are less active, is also a time when certain non-emergency surgeries, such as knee replacements, gall bladder extraction and other less serious medical procedures, are scheduled. Since many of these procedures require the availability of blood and blood components, the need for blood may increase at this time. Another circumstance that can diminish the blood supply is the fact that colleges and schools are normally closed for Christmas break. Many young people are avid blood donors and when they go home for the holidays, the regular blood drives that occur at their school or college are suspended until class resumes.
The bottom line is that blood is always needed regardless of Christmas, New Year’s Eve or a snowstorm. Donors need to remember how important they are to the Red Cross and local hospitals and still make the blood drives despite the situation.
“Whole blood is always needed,” Berger said. “But platelets are another component in blood that is needed as well. Platelets are responsible for clotting and platelets are frequently prescribed to help patients undergoing treatment for cancer, leukemia and other serious diseases, as well as for babies in neonatal intensive care and burn victims. Platelets have a shelf life of only five days so the need is constant.”
Giving blood is simple and requires only your time. There are a few guidelines as far as who is permitted to give, but for the most part anyone that meets the age and weight requirement is eligible to give blood.
“Anyone that is at least 17, or 16 with parental permission in some states, are eligible to donate,” Berger said. “They also must meet weight and height requirements (at least 110 pounds depending on their height) and must be in generally good health. All donors can give whole blood up to six times per year or every 56 days, double red cells every 112 days or up to three times per year, and platelets every seven days or up to 24 times a year.”
Berger said that even though holidays and wintertime can affect donors, this area has always been generous and dependable when it comes to blood donations.
“We so appreciate all of our donors and their commitment to this great cause for life,” Berger said. “The Holmes community is very giving and we are proud and grateful to all of them.”
Some upcoming blood drives available include Dec. 15, from 2-7 p.m., at Clark Presbyterian Church; Dec. 19, from 3-7 p.m., at Barrs Mills Church of God (Sugarcreek); Dec. 21, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Yoder Lumber Company; and Dec. 22, from 1-7 p.m., at United Dayspring Mennonite Church.
Anyone interested in becoming a blood donor or needing more information regarding one of the upcoming blood drives can check out the American Red Cross website at http://www.americanredcross.org.
Lang realizes that donating now and keeping the inventory up can help prevent shortages later on during the cold winter months.
“Donating whenever a donor can donate is very important to the blood supply and inventory,” she added. “Putting forth the effort when we are able to donate can eliminate a shortage later on.”
Katy Berger, Red Cross communications associate, agrees with Lang and said that many times during the winter and holiday months the blood supply can suffer.
“You can give the greatest gift by just coming out to donate blood or platelets through your American Red Cross,” Berger said. “Blood donating only takes about an hour and can help save up to three lives. That is amazing, that in just one hour you can actually impact three people’s lives and their family’s lives as well. It really is a simple way to help someone, and it’s a necessary product for so many medical procedures.”
According to Berger, every day of every season, hospital patients need blood or platelets for cancer treatments, lifesaving surgeries, or emergency care related to accidents or trauma. Unfortunately, during the holidays, it’s easy to get distracted with all the festivities of the season, traveling, baking, shopping and other tasks we find at hand. In addition to the holidays, snow falls, winter weather and the cold can also keep people indoors and make blood drives unsuccessful.
“About 38 percent of the population is eligible to donate blood,” Berger said. “Of those eligible, only a tiny fraction ever give blood. All blood types are always needed, but type O is in very high demand most of the time since it can be given to patients with any blood type such as A, B and AB. Giving blood is so important and we encourage everyone to consider giving this awesome gift of life. Believe it or not, about five million patients received blood products from volunteer donors just last year and every year there are millions of people that need blood.”
During the winter months, when it is cold outside and people are less active, is also a time when certain non-emergency surgeries, such as knee replacements, gall bladder extraction and other less serious medical procedures, are scheduled. Since many of these procedures require the availability of blood and blood components, the need for blood may increase at this time. Another circumstance that can diminish the blood supply is the fact that colleges and schools are normally closed for Christmas break. Many young people are avid blood donors and when they go home for the holidays, the regular blood drives that occur at their school or college are suspended until class resumes.
The bottom line is that blood is always needed regardless of Christmas, New Year’s Eve or a snowstorm. Donors need to remember how important they are to the Red Cross and local hospitals and still make the blood drives despite the situation.
“Whole blood is always needed,” Berger said. “But platelets are another component in blood that is needed as well. Platelets are responsible for clotting and platelets are frequently prescribed to help patients undergoing treatment for cancer, leukemia and other serious diseases, as well as for babies in neonatal intensive care and burn victims. Platelets have a shelf life of only five days so the need is constant.”
Giving blood is simple and requires only your time. There are a few guidelines as far as who is permitted to give, but for the most part anyone that meets the age and weight requirement is eligible to give blood.
“Anyone that is at least 17, or 16 with parental permission in some states, are eligible to donate,” Berger said. “They also must meet weight and height requirements (at least 110 pounds depending on their height) and must be in generally good health. All donors can give whole blood up to six times per year or every 56 days, double red cells every 112 days or up to three times per year, and platelets every seven days or up to 24 times a year.”
Berger said that even though holidays and wintertime can affect donors, this area has always been generous and dependable when it comes to blood donations.
“We so appreciate all of our donors and their commitment to this great cause for life,” Berger said. “The Holmes community is very giving and we are proud and grateful to all of them.”
Some upcoming blood drives available include Dec. 15, from 2-7 p.m., at Clark Presbyterian Church; Dec. 19, from 3-7 p.m., at Barrs Mills Church of God (Sugarcreek); Dec. 21, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Yoder Lumber Company; and Dec. 22, from 1-7 p.m., at United Dayspring Mennonite Church.
Anyone interested in becoming a blood donor or needing more information regarding one of the upcoming blood drives can check out the American Red Cross website at http://www.americanredcross.org.
Published: December 12, 2011
