Want to Help? Give Blood

This year, there have been a lot of moments in which people wanted to do something, something to help.  We saw it during the Australian wildfires, when people donated to the efforts to rebuild the overtaxed emergency response system or rescue injured animals.  During the pandemic, people have done whatever they were able, from sewing masks to donating to food ministries.  In the wake of George Floyd, I've seen more people talk about making donations to social justice organizations than I've ever seen before.

All of those things are great, but they all require money.  It may seem like you either have to donate or purchase materials in order to do good.  That is difficult if you are a broke college student or have lost your job.  Yet, the impulse to do something remains.  What can you do to help others if you have no money?  Figure out what you do have.  Perhaps, you have a skill that can be given to others.  Perhaps, you have time to drive food deliveries.  Perhaps, you have the ability to organize others with skills. 

There's one thing we all have to give.  We all have blood, and it costs nothing to give it.  Since today is World Blood Donation Day, I thought it would be a good day to encourage you to give.  

Why is blood donation so important?

No Substitute - There is no such thing as synthetic blood.  When person needs blood, there is no alternative.  You must have blood of the right type (or O negative, which can be universally given to all).

Supply and Demand - The blood supply is almost always right on the margin of the demand.  While people drove less during the stay at home orders, there were also fewer donations.  About one in every seven people that enters a hospital needs blood, and they usually need more than one pint (the average is 3, but a car accident can take as much as 100 pints until their blood loss is stopped.  The need for type O negative is especially high as it is used when the recipient's type is unknown.

Chronic Illnesses - When we think of blood donation, we typically think of trauma, like shootings, car accidents, and major wounds.  However, there are some people who have conditions that create a chronic need for blood.  Sickle cell disease, some types of cancer, aplastic anemia, liver and kidney diseases, and ulcers can all create a need to receive blood regularly.  Burn victims may also need plasma for weeks while their wounds heal.  

There are more facts than I can share here.  Here's a site with some great information.  

When I went this week, I was concerned that it might have become a hassle as most things have in the wake of COVID, but very little had actually changed other than a temperature check at the door and a mask requirement.  If you want to help people in a big way, here are a few things you should know.

Make an Appointment - While some places take walk-ins, it is just easier if you make an appointment.  Especially right now, when social distancing is needed, it helps the organizers plan.  If you are going to give at the Red Cross, you are required to have an appointment right now.

Set Aside an Hour - From beginning to end, the entire process takes about an hour.  It takes a little less time if you do the Red Cross' Rapid Pass, which allows you to answer the screening questions at home and gives you a QR code to take with you.

Hydrate - Your experience with blood donation is affected by your hydration level more than anything else.  It influences your blood pressure, the size of your veins, and whether you will be dizzy after donating.  

Don't Fear the Needle - When I talk to people about donating, I usually hear people discuss their fear of needles.  The anticipation is far worse than the experience itself.  I have had moments when I barely felt the needle, and there have been times when it stung a bit (that's the anticoagulant that keeps your blood from clotting in the tube).  That sting lasts less than one second.  After that, you don't even notice that it is there.  You are in the hands of professionals, so there is no need to fear.

You can make an appointment through your local hospital or by calling the American Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS or use their website at www.redcrossblood.org.  

Blood Saves

I was seventeen years old and wandered past the gym at school.  When I saw that it was a blood drive, I turned left and went in.  My mom had talked about giving blood when we were kids, and I figured I probably had good blood.  I didn't know that this little left turn would become a lifelong commitment to blood donation.

I continued to give throughout college, minus a few months when I was slightly anemic from eating like a college student.  Considering my steady diet of Doritos and Three Musketeers Bars, I wasn't eating the iron rich diet my blood would have liked.  I chain donate, signing up for my next donation in the appointment book on the table at my appointment.  When I moved back home, my mom and I started donating together.  Mom has type A positive while I am O negative.  We have been turned away a couple of times, and I had to stop giving for one year after going to Zambia; but for the most part, we have been donating blood every eight weeks for the past 14 years.

I have written before about how much I enjoy setting goals and then trying to achieve them.  Whether it is paying off debt or walking long distances, it is fun to be aiming at something.  Three years ago, I did some math and figured out that I could make it to my 100th pint by my 40th birthday if I didn't have any unusual issues.  I made it a goal.  Tonight I donated my 100th pint of blood.  I was supposed to have completed it in February; but 2/3 of the way into the donation, my blood stopped flowing.  There is a time limit, at which point they give up on your pint, so I was stuck at 99 until now.



I don't want to make this post about me.  I want to make it about what blood can do.  First, a few facts:
- Every 2 seconds, someone in the United States needs blood.  That's over 43000 needs per day.
- There is no such thing as artificial blood.  If you need blood, you must get it from a person.
- If there is an emergency, and your blood type is not known, you will receive O negative.  It's the
  only one they can be sure won't kill you.
- A single car accident victim may require up to 100 units of blood.
- 9.2 million Americans donate 15.7 million pints per year.
- Because blood can be separated into components, one donation can help save up to three lives.
- Some of your blood components will be restored in your body in as little as 24 hours (plasma and
  platelets). Other components (red blood cells) will take a couple of weeks to regenerate.
- The shelf-life of blood is 42 days.  Donors are allowed to give every 56 days.

Another interesting thing to know is that, while 38% of Americans are eligible to give blood, only 10% actually do.  I read recently that if that number went up by only 2%, there would never be a shortage of available blood.  If you are reading this and have never given blood, I would encourage you to try.  Find a blood donation center and make an appointment.  They will be very nice to you and encourage you throughout the process; they'll even give you a cookie when you are finished.  You may find that it wasn't as scary as you thought and become a regular donor yourself.

I talk to my students about blood donation because, even though most of them are not old enough to give, they will be one day.  I would like to think that they will remember this as a way to help people and show God's love.  You may not have money to donate to charity, but you always have blood.  I even devote one wall of my classroom to blood donation.  The most frequent questions my students ask are "Does it hurt?" and "Do you get dizzy?"  I have experienced very little pain.  There is a moment of stinging when the needle is first inserted, coming from the anticoagulant in the needle.  After that, gravity takes over.  I have had a couple of odd instances where my blood clotted or a bit of skin was caught in the needle, preventing blood flow.  As for dizziness, that usually depends on my level of hydration.  If I drink enough water on the day of my donation, I usually have no issues at all.  On the occasions when I have not had enough water, I do sometimes feel woozy.  Once I just laid down in the middle of the kitchen floor and put my feet in a chair.  That'll teach you to hydrate, for sure.  None of that lasts longer than a few seconds.

Oh, I do get one more question from my kids pretty often.  They always want to know if I get paid.  I do not believe in getting paid to donate something I have in abundance for free.  To me, that would be the equivalent of taking my coat to the local shelter and offering to sell it to them rather than give it.  My healthy blood is a gift from God and should be treated as such.

The most important thing I want to say is this.  My blood can save a physical life, but my blood can only save your physical life.  I obviously find this important as I am writing about it, but it is not of ultimate importance.  What is of ultimate importance is the blood of Christ.  It saves your soul.  Donating blood is valuable and gives life, but receiving His blood is critical and the ONLY way to receive eternal life.

World Blood Donor Day

My blog is usually about eduction, but Sunday June 14th is World Blood Donor Day.  This merits a rabbit trail of its own. 

When I talk about donating blood, I get a lot of reactions, from awe to horror, depending on the audience.  There are still a few people who think it is a way to make money.  Don't get me started on that one because I look down on that practice.  It is liking taking your coat to the Salvation Army and offering to sell it to them.  Don't sell what you should give.

My students ask a million questions because they don't understand the process or why it is needed.  I talk to them about it A LOT in the hope that they will remember and want to donate when they are old enough.  I also have a wall in my room decorated with pretty much everything the Red Cross has ever given me.  For this blog post, I will treat you as a student answer the questions that they usually ask me.

Why? - Because there are people who need blood.  According to the American Red Cross, there is a need for blood in the US every two seconds with the average transfusion requiring about 3 pints.  A single car accident may require up to 100 pints.

How often do you give?  I give as often as the Red Cross allows, which is every 56 days (8 weeks).  That amounts to six pints per year.

Why so often?  I have type O negative blood.  This is the only blood type that can donate to anyone.  If a person is in immediate need with no time to type their blood, they will be given O negative.  This means my blood type runs out faster than other types.  Since there is no such thing as artificial blood, it must come from people. 
  
What do they do?  You go in and read some stuff.  They take you in a room and take your blood pressure, pulse, and temperature.  You answer a bunch of questions to make sure you aren't at risk for AIDS or hepatitis or West Nile Virus.  They prick your finger to test your red blood cell count.  Assuming you are clear on all those things, you lie down on a bed.  They put a needle in your arm.  The needle is attached to a tube that leads to a bag.  You just lie there for a couple of minutes while gravity does its thing.  They put a bandage on your arm.  Then they let you eat cookies.  From start to finish, it takes less than an hour.  The actual blood giving part takes less than 10 minutes.

Does it hurt?  Only for a fraction of a second.  When the needle goes in, I wince a little.  That's it.  The finger prick is actually more painful than the needle, and it's just a quick jump.

Do you get sick or dizzy?  Rarely.  If I am well hydrated before giving, I often feel no different at all.  A few times, I have been extra tired for a day or a little dizzy if I stand up to fast.  I've never had any real problems from it.

How old do you have to be?  The Red Cross allows people to start donating at the age of 17 (or 16 if a parent is present).  I started giving at school when I was 17 because I wandered by the gym when they were having a drive.  The early you start giving, the more likely you are to stick with it.  However, it is never too late to start.

Do you give at blood drives?  I have, but I prefer donating at the permanent Red Cross location.  They know me and my mom.  They even commented that we were there earlier than usual when we went last week.  I have found also that they are more likely to work with me at the permanent location if my vein rolls or is hard to find than they have been at blood drives.

Since beginning at age 17, I have given 96 pints of blood with only a few interruptions due to international travel and college student eating habits.  I am on track to reach 101 pints by my 40th birthday.  The need is highest during summer and holiday times because of increased traffic accidents during these times, but these are also times when donations are lowest.  If you are eligible, let me encourage you to give one pint this summer.  If you try it once, you will find that it is easier than you thought and might be encouraged to do it regularly.  Only 10% of the eligible population donates.  I once read that if that were raised to 11%, there would never be a shortage.  You can make that happen if you donate, take a friend with, and encourage others to donate.  I'm going to make it even easier for you.  Click here to schedule your appointment.

If you have questions I haven't addressed, you can read Blood Facts and Statistics from the Red Cross, which provides a lot more detail than I have here.  

One other thing - There are other collection organizations besides the Red Cross (the Red Cross is responsible for 40% of donations in the United States).  I have never donated at any of the other places, so I can't speak to the donor experience in them.  I do know people who have given directly to Rex Hospital and have had positive experiences with that.  It's not important where you give.  Just give.