By Brenda Cannon Henley
(I am choosing to defer from my regular column thoughts to write about something that is very important to me, and perhaps is or will be to you as well. The matter of giving blood, or becoming a donor on a regular basis, is very important and an unselfish act that can save lives.)
There is no substitute for human blood. Donors are the only source.

Every two seconds, someone needs blood following accident, injury, or illness, and an adequate blood supply is crucial to their survival. Remember, just one pint of your blood can save as many as four lives. Sad thing is with the demand for blood continuing to increase annually, only 5 to 10 percent of the population donates on a regular basis.

What is even sadder is that most of us don’t even consider becoming a donor until the need is made graphically clear when a member of our family, a co-worker, or someone we love is involved in a terrible accident, undergoes surgery and needs blood, or prolonged illness causes the need to make it known. Why wait? Why not become a part of the pro-active community that attempts to help before the need is so important?

Often when there is a critical need for blood, emotions are running high, travel is involved, and in some cases, people just simply do not understand the vast importance of this unselfish act. Thank God, some do, and give on a regular basis. Please educate yourself and your family, or employees, or students about this need and set about to help alleviate it in our communities and our state.

When someone asks you to consider giving blood, what are the general principles that would apply? Can you give? In some states, donors as young as 16, with parental consent, can give blood. In checking with two sources, I found that Texans can now give at age 16. Here are the rules: Individuals who are 16 years old and 122 pounds (with parental consent), or at least 17 years old and 110 pounds, and are in general good health can donate blood. If your son or daughter is 16 years old and has expressed interest in donating blood, but was not old enough, now could be their opportunity. By becoming a blood donor your son or daughter is showing great civic responsibility, maturity and a sense of community pride. Through their blood donation, your son or daughter has the potential to help save lives.

There are blood drives now being organized in high schools and on college campuses nationwide to help meet the need. Encourage your teens to get involved and to stay involved.

Each center and medical team has its own specific requirements, but these are the general rules for giving blood. You will be asked to register by presenting photo identification. If you are a regular donor, you will likely have a card issued by the center. You will be asked general questions about past and present health history (all information is kept confidential). There may be a mini examination to determine if you have a temperature, normal blood pressure, heart rate, etc.

Donors are asked to drink water or other beverages prior to the donation. The more hydrated you are, the faster your donation will be and the better you will feel afterwards.

Experienced medical personnel who are trained for this particular procedure will always be the ones to actually draw the blood. You are in safe hands. You will be asked to sit in a comfortable chair/lounge during the procedure. Once the needle has been inserted, it usually takes less than ten minutes to draw a unit (about a pint) of blood. You may be asked to squeeze a ball to keep the blood flowing while you are welcome to read, relax, or chat with others in the room.

When donors have finished the draw, the needle will be removed and a bandage applied (many think of the bandage as a “hero” award and wear it proudly). You will then be asked to sit, relax, and have a snack and drink at the donor refreshment station. You will be reminded to avoid strenuous physical activity or heavy lifting for a few hours.

In cooperation with LifeShare out of Beaumont, we have organized a blood drive for the Bolivar Peninsula on Saturday, June 22, from 10 – 4, at First Baptist Church of Port Bolivar. The church is located at 523 Nelson, Port Bolivar, Texas, near the old Bolivar Lighthouse. We invite anyone who is in the area, or can make the trip to the beach, to join us for this important event. You will be proud of yourself and those you bring to know that you have helped save lives. Please consider it and thank you. The life you save may be one you love dearly.

Ted and I will be at the blood drive from 10 – 4, and look forward to meeting many of our readers there.

Brenda Cannon Henley can be reached at (409) 781-8788 or at [email protected].

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