R. Braiden Trapp
The SUN is pushing for four blood drives in 2009. Our first is Jan. 16 here at the office in the parking lot. We hope you’ll sign up, come by the United Blood Services mobile vampire and give some blood.
The group asks that you give the gift of life, blood. It’s a simple enough procedure and short of a finger prick and a needle poke, painless enough too. And it means so much to people who may not even know that as you read this column. People don’t plan to need blood. They fall into some sort of situation where they need it, normally a major accident or surgery.
It’s estimated 80 percent of the population will need blood sometime in their life. If we haven’t experienced it ourselves, most of us know someone near who has needed blood. Someone donated that blood.
Blood can only be stored for a couple of weeks. That’s why you continually hear radio spots, see pamphlets and bill boards asking for you to donate. It’s a constant need.
And the United Blood Services folks out of Albuquerque are always trying to fill that need. To donate you must:
• Weigh a minimum of 110 pounds;
• Not have donated in the last two months;
• Be at least 17 years old;
• Not have had hepatitis after the age of 11 or have AIDS or test positive for HIV.
It will cost you about 30 minutes and you’ll get your cholesterol checked in the process.
United Blood Services serves 42 hospitals in a 120,000 mile area. That’s a lot of blood needs. They must collect 280 donations each day.
Once blood is collected it’s used in many different ways. Red blood cells are used in surgery, platelets help leukemia and cancer patients, plasma is used to promote clotting and cryoprecipitates are used to treat hemophilia.
The need is there and all it will take is a little of your time. Please call 800-333-8037 to make an appointment or go online at www.unitedbloodservices.org and follow the directions to make an appointment. Of course you can always just stop by the mobile unit in the SUN parking lot between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and they’ll be glad to squeeze you in.