Blood banks desperate for donations in wake of Dennis

Huntsville Times ^ | 7/11/05 | Kenneth Kesner

[Crackingham]

LifeSouth Community Blood Centers and the American Red Cross put out a call for donors over the weekend because blood supplies are low and likely to worsen in the wake of Hurricane Dennis. A hurricane isn't usually the kind of disaster that uses up the blood supply. But officials point out that hurricanes and the storms, tornadoes and flooding that follow affect the amount of blood available as drives are often canceled and offices may be damaged or closed.

"It makes what's already a short supply even more tentative," said Rick Cantrell, executive director of the Madison/Marshall County Chapter of the Red Cross.

Because vacations and other activities interrupt everyone's routines during the summer, there's barely enough blood to meet hospitals' needs under normal circumstances, said Cindi Bradley, donor recruitment manager at LifeSouth Community Blood Center in Huntsville.

"We're so much more active in the summertime," she said. "Donating blood just doesn't cross our minds."

The supply was already reaching critical levels Friday, even before Hurricane Dennis hit the Gulf Coast.

"We just need a little bit of everything," Bradley said.

[tfecw]

I'd love to donate blood (O-) but they won't let me. :( They stopped letting me 5ish years ago and again when I checked 3ish years ago.

[Freebird Forever]

I'd love to donate blood (O-) but they won't let me.

Did you tell them that you were a conservative?

: )

[nightdriver]

Red Cross, again, huh?

Haven't they always said that they use every bit of every donation and that it never goes to waste?

Then we hear of them incinerating a lot of it in the aftermath of the Trade Center Bombing.

I'd say the Red Cross has some serious ethical problems to solve first.

[Churchillspirit]

Same here. I am O neg. In my case is because I lived in the UK till 1983 and the concern is mad cow disease. I will try again, especially since they discovered an infected cow in Texas.

Will they deny all Texans the opportunity to donate?

[tfecw]

"Did you tell them that you were a conservative?"

Naw, :) born in Germany after 80. They stopped letting me donate during the Mad Cow scare or the hoof and mouth or whatever it was. Maybe it's blown over by now.

[dhuffman@awod.com]

I donated twide a month for more than ten years. The they prohibited legally carried weapons, including police officer's. I protested. they ignored. I declined. I still do. Fsuck 'em. Like the airlines, I'll trust them when they trust me with my personal weapon.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Whatever happened to the blood that Yasser Arafat donated after 9/11?

[jayhorn]

Folks, if you can, donate blood. It's probably the most altruistic thing you can do. With aphresis an adult can donate once every two weeks and make a tremendous impact for those who need it.

As for me, I donate frequently (although I'm in deferral currently as I got a tattoo last year), but I do not donate to the Red Cross. Many metro areas have independent blood centers that I trust far more than the Red Cross.

[tenthirteen]

I have a rare type as well. I used to give all the time, until once when a phlebotomist was walking around taking blood from people and not wearing gloves. When I asked her where were her gloves, she informed that the "CDC said she didn't have to wear them". That was the last drop of blood they ever got from me.

[tfecw]

Where does Europe get blood from? Seems like they are doing okay.
It seems like they could just run a test and then flag your name to let them know you've been tested. Or is it something that can flare up and not be detected until then?

[ncpatriot]

I, too, have O neg blood; and I give fairly frequently. But what gets me about the Red Cross is that they are ALWAYS in short supply.

[Churchillspirit]

Britain uses its own supply, so I think the American Red Cross is being over-cautious.

I was a donor in the UK for twenty years and have not heard of folks becoming infected from blood transfusions. I also made several donations here before the clamp down.

[freedom44]

Can we donate at any red cross across the u.s. to reach the needed or only in florida?

[Joe Boucher]

You can donate to local blood banks just stay away from the red cross. They have a tendency to help Palestinian assasins in their battle against Israeli military units.
Also they use America and its generosity to help Americas enemies.

[Verginius Rufus]

I was a frequent donor until 2001 when the Red Cross expanded their mad cow restrictions to exclude anyone who had spent 6 months anywhere in Europe since Jan. 1, 1980. I'm not sure if they originated that policy or it was dictated by a government agency (that is, whether an independent blood collection outfit might have different rules).

The last time I was in Europe I saw ads in the paper begging for blood donations...I was tempted to go and see if they would take my blood even though I have spent more than 6 months in Europe since 1980.