How many people do you know who have ever received a blood transfusion? Has any member of your family, or our church family, ever needed blood? I know many people who have received blood, including several from our church family, as well as my mother and mother-in-law. They were lucky that when they needed it, blood was on the shelf--tested for infectious disease, labeled according to type and ready to be transfused.
Following the 9-11 tragedy, lines of citizens formed across the country trying to donate blood to help save someone that may have been injured in the World Trade Center towers, or the Pentagon or on that field in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, the blood that helped save lives on that day had been collected from loyal donors in the 2 to 3 days prior to September 11th. It takes approximately 2 days for blood to be collected by Virginia Blood Services, samples to be shipped to the testing facility in Texas, the many infectious disease tests to be run, results posted, and the blood to then be labeled for shipment to local blood banks. This turn-around time can be the difference between having blood during major holidays and shortages, and not being able to save lives.
Every holiday poses a significant challenge to a blood center, and we are not self-sufficient in central Virginia, using more blood than we collect. Blood must be imported from other areas of the country that are able to collect more than they use. We are quickly approaching the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, and we will be encountering severe shortages as people travel and forget to give this most precious gift.
New technology has been developed that allows us to collect two units of packed red blood cells from one donor at a visit. Donors leave the donation site literally feeling better than when they walked in due to the saline they receive during the approximately 35 minute procedure. These donations are now happening in all local Virginia Blood Services donor centers, as well on selected blood drives. These centers also have instruments that collect platelets, red blood cells and plasma. These technologies assist in increasing the blood supply by optimizing each donor’s gift.
The statistics concerning blood donation are alarming, as over 60% of all people are eligible to donate blood, but less than 5% actually do. We have held several drives at Fairfield, with about 5% participation from the total congregation. Many of our members are ineligible due to travel (especially our Mexico mission team), as well as illnesses or conditions that prevent their giving. We need new “blood”, as in new volunteers, to join our efforts at making a significant gift to the local community at a time when shortages will become evident.
Becky Clark and the Parish Nurses: Sandra Brewster, Beverly Burts, Darlene Curtis, Mary Mismas