I just posted a note about this over at Jo Leigh's blog, but I'll repeat it here for those who want to help out the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Donating blood is one of the most important things you can do in the aftermath of a disaster. There are likely to be a huge number of casualties from Katrina, and the first thing hospitals always run out of is blood.
Routine blood donation drives in the southern part of the U.S. will also be badly disrupted by this storm -- we saw this last year after the four hurricanes that hit our state -- and medical facilities outside the disaster areas who send their inventory to relief areas will need help replacing their stock.
A pint of blood costs nothing but maybe twenty minutes of your time to donate, and it can actually save someone's life. If you're willing and able to donate, please do.
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I gave blood for the first time after Hurricane Andrew. I have O negative blood and after seeing the devastion and hearing reports of blood shortages, couldn't justify being unwilling to suffer a relatively painless and efficient procedure. I'm glad I did it.
ReplyDeleteThe victims of Hurricane Katrina will need so much. They'll have to fight their way through a nightmare of insurance companies and state and federal emergency funds. There will be auctions and pledge drives and more in the effort to help our neighbors to the south rebuild their homes and livelihoods.
But some of them are fighting for their very lives, and all the funding and pledge drives in the world can't buy them blood.
I've always wanted to donate blodd. But am never able to because I travel so much. They won't let you if you've been out of the country in the last three years. I don;t hitnk they consder the states out of the country (I'm Canadian) but my last trip was to Europe and before that was South Africa. Some day, I will give blood.
ReplyDeleteI'm in Canada and I donate regularly... not sure if we all share blood or not, but I do donate semi-regularly.
ReplyDeleteSasha who commented earlier/... the rules have recently changed, you should look into donating.
Every eight to ten weeks for me. I just wish we would have more blood drives in my small town so that I didn't have to drive 45 minutes each way. Blech.
ReplyDeleteI can't give blood.
ReplyDeleteFrom the Red Cross website:
"You are not eligible to donate if:
You were a member of the of the U.S. military, a civilian military employee, or a dependent of a member of the U.S. military who spent a total time of 6 months on or associated with a military base in any of the following areas during the specified time frames
* From 1980 through 1990 - Belgium, the Netherlands (Holland), or Germany
* From 1980 through 1996 - Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Italy or Greece."
I lived in Germany for three years as a toddler when my dad was stationed there...1985-1988. That's why I can't give blood. I would, otherwise. Before they made that rule, my dad used to donate regularly, but now he can't either.
I donate regularly too, and am due back around the middle of September.
ReplyDeleteBtw, I got the password fine, but it's not letting me have a username.
--tambo
I'm another of those who can't donate - I have a clotting disorder that even the NIH couldn't decide whether it was genetic or a disease (and could be passed on), plus I had three units of blood in an emergency and got some weird antibodies from them.
ReplyDeleteMy friends are mostly AB negative, go figure, and donate regularly. I've always felt bad that I couldn't and, times like these, I feel the pinch more than usual. If everyone who could give blood would, there wouldn't be any shortages. Oh, well.
Pleaes do. I'm O-neg, the universal donor. Much needed and I donate regularly.
ReplyDeleteIf you aren't sure if you can do it or not, stop by a blood center and ask. They have all the updated info. If you don't know where to go, check with your local hospital. No matter where you are, you can help by donating, they'll fly the blood down here where we need it so much.
Thanks,
-- F.
I also can't donate because I've lived in Europe. So I hope someone else who doesn't normally donate can step in for me. (It makes me sick that I can't donate because I'm O+. It's worse that my husband can't, because he's O-. I would be an every-eight-week donor if I was allowed to be.)
ReplyDelete