Donors Give Life by Giving Blood

When Mrs. Helen Young needed blood, the American Red Cross was able to help give the gift of life thanks to donors in the Alabama and Central Gulf Coast Region.

(July 28, 2006)- Every two seconds in the United States, someone, whether a neighbor, family member or complete stranger, needs blood just to survive. No one knows that more than Pike County’s Jane Thrash, whose mother, Mrs. Helen Sybil Partin Young of Troy, AL, depended on the life-saving gift provided by donors when the need for an emergency heart bypass arose.

“My mother had to have open-heart surgery 10 years ago,” said Thrash, Community Development Specialist for the Pike County Branch of the American Red Cross of Central Alabama. “She had to have five bypasses at that time, and of course bypasses always involve blood transfusion.”

Heart bypasses, which are increasingly common in the Alabama and Central Gulf Coast Region thanks to advances in medical science and the growing need for the procedure, do indeed require a great deal of blood to ensure the success of the surgery. A typical heart bypass surgery requires between four and six units of blood, and that’s only if the surgery goes exactly as planned.

Thrash said when the need for blood arose, she knew she wanted to request that her mother’s blood be supplied by the American Red Cross.

“At the time, I was a high school principal, and we had American Red Cross blood drives on a regular basis,” said Thrash, who is a retired health and physical education teacher and high school principal. “So when the need arose, we specifically asked for Red Cross blood, and that blood was immediately made available to us.”

Because of donors who roll up their sleeves at blood drives all over the region, Jane Thrash’s mother got the blood she needed when she needed it. Blood is something that cannot be manufactured in a lab, and all donors who donate give freely without monetary compensation. Giving blood is the easiest way someone can become a healer and a hero, passing on the gift of life to someone who could very well need it with little or no prior notice.

“Many times, I’ve had people ask me if they can give blood ahead of time and create a personal blood bank in case they need it at some point,” said Evan Duffy, Communications Specialist for the American Red Cross Alabama and Central Gulf Coast Region. “Red blood cells have a shelf life of only 42 days, so there is no way anyone can stockpile blood. And when an emergency arises, it’s too late to respond to it by giving blood. It takes us about two days to get donated blood into the inventory, so blood must be on the shelf when it is needed. The need is constant, and the only way to ensure blood is on hand when it is needed to save lives is by regularly giving blood at an American Red Cross blood drive or donor center. We are all interdependent when it comes to blood donation, and the gift donors provide is guaranteed to save the life of someone in our region.”

Mrs. Young needed even more blood after her bypass surgery, as she lost blood and needed a pint to survive. Three years ago, Thrash said, her mother needed a pacemaker installed, a procedure which again required a transfusion of life-saving blood provided by a generous volunteer donor.

Mrs. Young passed away in June of this year after a bout with cancer, said Thrash. However, Thrash said because blood was on the shelf time and time again when the need arose, she and her family enjoyed a decade of additional time with their precious family member.

“Blood really is the gift of life, and if it had not been there in 1995, we wouldn’t have had my mother all of these years,” said Thrash. “People must realize that by giving a pint of blood, they are saving lives and giving families like mine more time with their loved ones. My mother ran a drug store and was very involved in the Troy community, and I just know that if she was here today, she’d be proud that we’re holding this blood drive in her honor. If she could have given, she would have, because when you give blood you give the gift of life.”

The American Red Cross is currently under an emergency appeal, which was originally declared on July 5 in the Alabama and Central Gulf Coast Region. An appeal means that the blood supply has dropped to dangerously low levels and that all patients who need blood may not get blood.

The summer causes a shortage of blood in our region for several reasons. First of all, school is out during the summer months. Students in high school and college comprise 21 percent of blood donors, and when they aren’t available for donations at their respective schools, the blood inventory suffers. Also, because the summertime is a period filled with outdoor recreation, increased outside labor and more frequent vacation travel, an onslaught of accidents historically serves to further deplete the blood supply.

These factors together create one of the toughest times of the year for the blood inventory, and the American Red Cross counts on selfless donors to roll up their sleeves and fill in the gaps in the blood supply through summer blood drives.

In addition to the gratification of knowing that their donation helped someone else live on, donors who give during the month of August will be entered into a drawing for a $1,000 prepaid American Express gift card. Donors will also receive a t-shirt for rolling up their sleeves and saving lives.

In order to become a hero to someone in need, one must only be 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in general good health. A photo ID or American Red Cross donor card must be presented prior to donation. Anyone who cannot donate is encouraged to recruit someone to give in his or her place.

After all, giving blood is the easiest way to become a hero, and when you give blood, you really do give the gift of life.

Give blood, give life