13 things you may not know about blood

Who knew???

10 Secrets a Red Cross Volunteer Will Never Tell You

1. They love when they get a call that wakes them up in the middle of the night.

These Kansas City volunteers, including one of my favorite guys, Carl, are helping after an apartment complex fire.

2. Being “chained to a desk” is one of their favorite parts of the week.

A Caravan of Carnivals

Halfway through July, the Youth Department has maintained a presence at a multitude of festivals in the area. Most recently the department had a booth positioned in the family fun tent of the Heart of Illinois Fair at Peoria’s Expo Gardens. In festival settings we see families from all walks of life.

Parents and kids form lines at our booth to participate in our Spin-The-Wheel, game where the participant spins the wheel to choose a safety topic to be quizzed on. In this environment everyone is both a winner and a learner. However, when the opportunity presents itself some festival goers approach our booth to ask questions about our services. Sometimes, they even ask how they can volunteer at the American Red Cross. Occasionally, we hear moving stories that must be shared. While working the booth, I got to hear this.

100 Days of Summer

Summer is 100 days of high dives, ball games, and barbecues. It’s 100 ways to dress a burger, catch some shade, or get out of town. It’s 100 chances to clear the calendar for what’s most important.

Over the course of the summer, there are 100 chances to give hope to patients in need by donating blood or platelets through the American Red Cross. Choose your day to help save up to three lives.

How Do You Want to Make a Difference

Post from Ben Corey, Communications Program Manager, American Red Cross Blood Services

During Red Cross Month, the American Red Cross invites everyone to make a difference in their communities by giving blood, volunteering, taking a class or making a financial donation. Those supporters enable the Red Cross to continue to help people in need like the Roux family.

Jenny Roux’s son, Blake, was born with a rare and serious chromosome disorder that causes multiple abnormalities. Jenny and Blake both received two pints of blood the day he was born. For Blake, that marked the first of many transfusions. Jenny said she knew her time with him would be short, but she credits multiple blood transfusions with helping extend his life.

“Without the blood transfusions, I don’t know that he would have even had the 10 months we had with him,” she said.

Thankfulness is in the eye of the beholder

Leading up to Thanksgiving, the month of November is a time for people to reflect on what makes them grateful. I have many friends on Facebook that are posting one thankful feeling a day.  May not sound like much of a commitment, but I tried a couple of years ago to do it and only made it through 3 days before I got distracted.  Sad, I know. But for my dedicated Facebook friends that don’t have the attention span of a gnat, family, friends and good health are always in their daily post.

There must be something I can do to show thankfulness this month.

I got a story from my counterpart at the Heart of America Blood Region the other day, and it made me think.  Maybe instead of listing out my thankful feelings, I could do something that would bring joy and thanks to someone who really needs it?

Here’s the story…

Feel Good Stories Found by “Creeping the Book”

This morning has been a very unproductive one… our server is down which means I can’t access any files to get things accomplished.  Grrr!  Thankfully, I can get email and access the internet.   So after I was semi-productive responding to emails, I decided to “creep the book” and search for Red Cross posts.  I was amazed when I found these stories from a Red Cross blood drive volunteer in Findlay, IL (Shelby County).

“The blood drive was well underway when a woman brought this beautiful, little boy. The boy who had to be around 8 or 9 years old and he wanted to see a drive. He wanted to know more about the process. I showed him around. His name was Chris and he was from the Philippines.  As I showed him around I asked why he wanted to know this. His answer was simple, “Because last year, blood donations saved my life.” He left after that and I didn’t even get a picture, but it reminded me why I want to help save lives by collecting blood.”

And another good story…

“I was pulled away from what I was doing when a woman wanted to know how often we held our First Baptist Drive. I recognized her immediately because she so rarely misses donating. Her name is Emma. After I explained that we always had our drive on the third Thursday of every month, she said she could easily remember that. She told me that she was severely frightened of needles. She said that when she was a child a needle was nearly broken off in her arm as she fought those who gave her an immunization. She did not give blood because of her fear of needles. 

Then her son was in a terrible motorcycle accident. At that time she sat in the Emergency waiting room as they gave him several units of blood so that he could survive his injuries and blood loss. She thought as she sat there that if everyone had the same attitude as she did, her baby would not survive. She pledged to fight her fear and to donate to save the lives of strangers as they had for her child on that day. 

Today she earned her three gallon pin. That means she has given 24 times since she made that promise. Way to go, Emma!”

How’s that for a couple of feel good Friday moments?!? The only thing that might make you feel better is to set up your own blood donation appointment… hint, hint, wink, wink.  And to think, I wouldn’t have found these had the server not been down.  The universe works in mysterious ways.

The Simple Joy of an Ice Scraper

My son is back to school after his winter break, and man-oh-man, is he ever feeling the early mornings! I am glad we are getting back to our normal routine, but the ole A.M. can be brutal. Trying to get a grump kid out the door on time is not enjoyable to say the least.

Today I was in super mom mode, making lunches and organizing activity stuff while putting on mascara and straightening my hair. I know, not sanitary, but I had to do what I had to do because I woke up a hour late. In all the action, I forgot to warm up my car. And while we are enjoying above average temps right now, there’s still frost on my little red truck in the morning. In a mad craze, I grabbed my trusty Red Cross ice scraper to clean off the car and then we were off in a flash. After I dropped off the kid at school, I started to think about my scraper and how much I love it (I also thought about coffee because I had no time to make any.)  I broke my former ice scraper and let me just tell you… living without one is a tragedy in Illinois winters. Any who… I have an awesome one now thanks to my trip to donate a pint of blood.

This pic of Jack Frost was snapped after he landed on my car. I think he enjoys complicating my mornings.

I am a big fan of donating blood for many reasons. Yes, there is the whole Red Cross practice what you preach gig, and of course there is the feel good and helping part. But I would be lying if I didn’t say it was also for the loot. Sometimes they have great stuff, like the ice scraper (I’m obsessing now).

It’s January. This is a month that we give our stomachs and wallet a chance to recover from the holidays. We hope to keep our resolutions and eventually appreciate getting back to reality. But it is also a month that the Red Cross thanks blood donors and encourages them to give blood because it is, in fact, National Blood Donor Month.

So, quite simply, give blood! Not only will you potentially save 3 lives when you give a pint, but you also may indeed receive an amazingly important gift of thanks like an ice scraper!

Click here to make your blood donation appointment, I just did… Every 56 days, baby!

We don’t want it all

Here ye, here ye! It has been decreed that every Friday from this day forward will be called… Feel Good Friday! (You should always feel good on a Friday.)

Our first official Feel Good Friday theme shall be… Sign up to donate blood because it just feels good!

Blood donors report feeling a sense of great satisfaction after making their donation. Why? Because helping others in need just feels good.

Don’t delay! Make an Appointment Now »

We don’t want it all! Just a pint! 🙂

It’s Bloody Awesome!

Last week, I gave blood for the first time in way too long.  Why did it I do it? Well… because I was asked (and because they were giving away a cool tshirt).

In all seriousness, we are experiencing a blood shortage right now.  The summer is usually tough on blood donations with vacations and such, but this year seems to be especially bad.

A lot of people don’t give because they are nervous… so… for the good of all mankind… I documented my experience for you…

Wednesday (day before)…

• I started to drink a lot of water and ate a nice meal of red meat.  You don’t really have to eat red meat the day before but I find a high iron meal the day before makes me feel better.
• I drink water like a camel on a daily basis, but this day I downed 6 liters of water… I know I am impressive.

Thursday (the day of)…

• I continued my super water drinking and made sure to have a nice breakfast and lunch.
• I went over to the blood drive, answered some questions about my history and reviewed some info.  It was confidential so no worries.
  
• They checked my iron level and blood pressure (both good I am glad to report).
• I hopped up on the table lounger, squeezed a stress ball brain and watched my pint bag fill.
• After giving blood, I went to the canteen area to drink more water and then ate some chili because it was homemade and because it was there.  🙂

I was done in 45 minutes.  I got a Red Cross tshirt and a Red Cross permanent marker.  I have already wore the shirt and used the marker to write out lists of chores for my son to do each day (he loves that).

In the interest of full disclosure… I did get a small bruise.  But aside from that, I have emerged from the experience unphased.  It feels good to give blood… you should try it! 😉

http://www.redcrossblood.org