Blood Drive

Yesterday, at Trevor's school, the Red Cross came for a blood drive. Since I am excluded from giving blood due to my student time in England, almost 25 years ago, I told the school coordinator I could volunteer my day as a helper. They like some one to escort the donors to the food table and talk to them after donating. Look for signs that the loss of blood is not causing any dizziness or disorientation.

Most of the donors have tales to tell of themselves or someone they know or knew that needed blood. Experience of those scary events really drives home the point that donating blood is crucial. The book the red cross provides the donors to read, talks about all the exclusions. It says only 30% of the population qualifies to donate and of those only about 3% do donate. Each pint can serve 3 units or three people in crisis. My insurance bill was charged $700 a unit. Each donor was giving the red cross $2100 worth of blood.

The blood has a shelf life of about three weeks. I wondered if the blood being donated at our school would be shipped to the South to replenish supplies used on victims from the tornadoes. I was listening to NPR interview a hospital staff member talking about the overwhelming number of victims that they had to deal with quickly and how every one from all the different departments showed up to assist in the ER even though it wasn't their area.

There were days when Riley would receive blood that wasn't quite his type. He is AB and occasionally he would get just A since that was all the bank had on hand. The blood bank likes to make use of every bag, so nothing expires or goes to waste. Some bags were even a day past expiration. My favorite bags were the really fresh ones. Riley could even change to a bright pink while receiving blood. I hadn't realized he was so pale until the flush appeared. We had become so used to his pasty color.

I had helpers assisting with the donors. Leadership and Builders Club students were scheduled two or three students on an hour and a half shift. They got to miss one class to come help. So I played more of a supervisory role. The students would keep the donors company and distract them while they sat on their compact beds with a tube in their arm flowing a thick burgundy of blood into a plastic bag hanging on a hook below them. Trevor had the first and last shift. The last shift was after school. He was supposed to be in homework club, but this activity gave him an excuse to miss it. I grit my teeth and kept my tongue. It was for a good cause.

The end result was 35 donors. The goal had been for 30, so it was considered a great success. We had over 40 sign up, but some had canceled at the last minute. It is hard to get donors for the middle of the day when people work. It does take about two hours including an hour of screening process when you arrive. The Red Cross must make as sure as they can that every donor is healthy and qualified to give blood. Afterwards, the donor needs to sit for ten minutes at our snack table and drink and eat. Refreshing his system on snacks and juice, while we look for signs that the donor is not going to pass out after leaving or become dizzy while driving a car. That was my job. Its subtle, you don't want to play up the dangers and discourage future donating, but you also need to make sure of the health of everyone before they leave. So I chat to start the conversation, but it is more important to hear them talk, see that they can carry on a conversation and are comfortable. Everyone left in good condition, warned to eat and drink well.

It takes 56 days for the blood to be fully replaced so they can donate again. They may need to take care for the next few days as their energy will be depleted. Donating is not for the faint of heart. That is why people that donate take it seriously. They know that they are literally saving lives. They are only 3% of the population. In their own way they are heroes to someone in need. They are helping that doctor save a life, in that hospital room with the patient.

It is hard to want to donate and be denied. I saw at least one person turned away. If you have vacationed in the last year in a foreign country or you live with someone who has, you are disqualified, as you might have been exposed to a germ that has yet to manifest itself. Ear piercings or tattoos in the last two years will also disqualify you. The list is long. First you read a book with lists, then they have you sit a computer and answer the questions one at a time. Some of the questions are very personal and intimate. But having been through the routine, it made me feel better about the blood Riley received. The Red Cross has a very thorough screening system. They really try to get on ly the highest quality of blood.

The 35 pints the Red Cross received in our blood drive came from the very best of the population, vetted and screened, then poked and prodded. I stand witness. Sadly, I am one of their rejects.