Welcome to day fourteen of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.
Today's letter is "N" and my topic is = NEED for Blood Donations.
Today my friend Kate is going to guest post about the NEED for Blood Donations and why they are in demand.
My name is Kate, spelled K8. I am currently in my first year of college (which is just about to end). I can be found at http://froze8.blogspot.com/ and on Twitter via Froze8.
Today for the letter N I will be talking about Need, specifically the Need for Blood Donations.
There are so many things I can say about this need that it is hard for me to know where to start…I guess from the beginning…
Being such the odd child I am I have always wanted to know everything I could about myself, what time was I born? Why do I have hearing loss? And….What is my blood type?
Through my years on the planet I have gathered some of these answers. Finding out my blood type came from my first blood donation done by the American Red Cross my senior year of high school (I was 17).
Many teenagers donate blood as a way to get out of class, or get a free t-shirt but ever since that first day I learned that there was much more to giving blood than following the crowd.
One donation can save up to three lives. My sister was one of those lives.
A few years ago when I was a preteen my sister underwent surgery. She was supposed to be fine after she was sent home…but she wasn’t. After much…well…craziness my sister did heal and has been doing well ever since but during her time in the hospital she needed TWO blood transfusions… I do not know what would have happened to my sister if there had not been blood available.
Now here are some questions about the blood donation process I know you are thinking of or will think of soon.
“Why is there a need for blood donations?”
-Well, because the supply is not enough to keep up with the demand…with the NEED.
This is due to a few factors:
o First, blood has a shelf life, if it is not used in a certain amount of time then it is no longer useable.
o Second, few people are eligible blood donors and even fewer actually donate. (There are age and weight requirements, certain lifestyles that are at a higher risk for AIDS are not allowed to donate (such as homosexuals, and no it is not because the Red Cross is trying to be judgmental, it honestly is a risk factor which I will explain more if you need me to, just send me a message)
o Third, people do not understand how important this issue is.
o Fourth, different blood types can only take certain types of blood; if the blood for a transfusion is not compatible with your blood type then you are in trouble.
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I give my blood for free because even if a person does have to pay for it, it is better for there to be blood for them to buy than for them to die because the blood is not available.
“Why do you donate blood? (besides for your sister)”
I donate blood because it takes little time, it is something that cost me nothing but that little time and yet I can still save lives. (Some people donate during their lunch break at work! How simple is that?)
“It is against my religion to donate or receive blood”
Well that is fine, but for those who are not of your religion this is important.
I know this post is really a bit long but this is something that is very close to my heart. So, if you have donated before but have stopped, or if you have never donated please…PLEASE set up an appointment to donate. What you give WILL save lives, and it will ALWAYS be a need. Every time I give blood I thank God someone gave blood before me and by doing so saved my sister’s life. And please feel free to ask me questions in the comments, on my blog, or anywhere else you can find me online. I look forward to talking to you guys about this.
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Great post! I agree wholeheartedly that donating blood is so important. A few years ago I had surgery and banked my own blood beforehand, but I ended up needing additional blood as well, so I definitely thank all the donors out there and will continue to donate when I can. Thanks for getting the word out.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you had blood available to you, it really changes your perspective doesn't it?
DeleteI really can't say it I would be so passionate about this if it wasn't for what my sister went through. Giving blood is such an easy thing when you are an eligible donor and for the little bit of time spent lives truly are saved.
Great Post. I agree. I donate blood as often as I can. Sadly not enough people that are able to donate actually donate.
ReplyDeleteYup, that's one of the big things on my list. I am working on getting into a blood donation schedule, going every 56 days (so about two months). My biggest challenge is finding someone willing to give me a ride while I'm at college because the donation center is a little too far for me to feel safe driving home from after giving. (I'm a bit of a lightweight haha!)
Deletei dreamed about getting blood last night--i have had to receive blood on two occasions in my life---my son started giving blood while he was in high-school--they say that men over 40 should donate blood every couple of months--this actually protects them from heart attacks as it thins the blood
ReplyDeleteGood fact to know! There is just so much about this that is important. I really hope that more people will become regular donors.
DeleteI try to donate every couple of months, but I've had a few experiences that made me pass out, so now it is a wee bit of a fear. I'll just say that a good phlebotomist is a blessing.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand. I have yet to actually pass out but I have had to lay down after getting up and "feeling fine". I tend to not be able to do much after I donate but that isn't the case for everyone :)
DeleteI lost half my blood volume years ago and required a transfusion. I totally understand and agree with the need to donate blood! Unfortunately, because all this happened in Europe at the height of the Mad Cow epidemic, I'm prevented from donating here in the US. But I do encourage those who can donate to do so as often as they can. It's such a small effort to make that has a huge impact on others!
ReplyDelete~Lynn
http://www.acommonsea.com
Yes! There are many cases where travel or unfortunate events like this prevent people from donating which is one of the big reasons the pool of donors is so small (although these measures are very needed, could you imagine getting blood that was infected?).
DeleteIf you can't donate I think the biggest thing you can do is spread the word to those that can :)
Thanks for commenting!