Blood Shortage Warning, Save Lives This Christmas Donate Blood!

by Pat Garcia | December 22, 2008 at 09:09 am

975 views | 46 Recommendations | 10 comments

As Christians celebrate the birth of the one who gave his blood to save mankind from their sins it is ironic to have a blood shortage during that time. Everybody seems to be busy, there are more accidents, less people available to donate. The blood shortage is not only a problem in USA. Mexico is also having a brigade to collect blood for the holidays. The city of La Paz is a small city which makes it easy to know about the willingness of people to participate and their disappointment when they find out they are not eligible to do so according to a required lab test previous to donation, even low plaques makes blood unsuitable for donation.

It is not a novelty that fewer people than ever are willing to donate blood. The American Red Cross says every day more than 38,000 people in the US must have blood to help treat everything from planned surgeries to car accidents. Their lives are critically endangered when the blood they so much need is not available. So if you are at least 17, weigh at least 110 pounds and also in good shape you can be one of the people saving a person’s life. There are many people saying their diseases make them unable to donate blood. But people with asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, high blood pressure or people who have had a heart attack, stroke, surgery, vaccines, mononucleosis or tooth extraction and are recovered are all eligible to donate.

The shortage of blood during the holidays is a worldwide danger.

More people need to give blood to avoid a 50% drop in donations over the festive period, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service has warned.

The service said donations fell by 25% during the same period in 2007.

It fears the situation could be worse this year because Christmas falls on a Thursday, the most popular day for giving blood.

Brian Cartwright from Aberdeenshire, who needs blood transfusions twice a month, urged donors to come forward.

Mr Cartwright from Laurencekirk, who has leukemia, said he owed his life to blood donors.

He said: "I will continue for the rest of my life to rely on people giving blood. I need blood every two weeks, that helps me to lead as normal a life as I can.

"I would say to people who give blood regularly - please keep up your regular donation of blood. And for those who haven't yet given blood - it only takes a short amount of time, and you would be saving somebody's life with that."

Give Blood
Blood donations always drop off during the holidays because people are busy getting ready for Christmas. And, this year, Canadian Blood Services was already coping with a blood shortage even before the holiday season.

Donating blood takes just one hour but could save up to three lives because each unit of blood gets broken down into three components which go to three different patients, explains Tami Clark, a spokesperson for Canadian Blood Services.

Make the experience even more meaningful by donating in honour of someone you love—they'll receive a card explaining your gesture—or in memory of someone. You can find a nearby clinic at www.bloodservices.ca.

BILLINGS - While many things take time during your holiday schedule, one of them isn't likely to be donating blood. In fact, the greatest blood shortages occur during the holiday season.

Officials with United Blood Services say there is a significant need for type O Negative blood this year. They will be holding a blood drive Monday, December 22, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the United Blood Services building on the corner of 15th and Grand Ave.