Knights of
Columbus
Grayslake IL
BLOOD DRIVE NEWSLETTER
| Next Blood Drives Sun. 8am- 2pm in St. Gilbert Chapel Hall. May 25, 2008 July 20, 2008 Sept 14, 2008 Nov 09, 2008 Bring a friend and donate a pint or two!!! Recent Blood Drive
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Basic Qualifications to Donate Blood
Must weigh at least 110 pounds; |
LifeSource Blood Services
This Chicago based affiliate of ITxM, is a non-profit corporation
established in 1987 through the merger of the Blood Center of Northern Illinois
and the Red Cross Blood Services- Mid America Region. LifeSource is also
involved in the continual upgrading of cell counters to improve both reliability
and productivity in providing platelets counts. Its reference lab
participates in the International Rare Donor Registry. These attributes
form the vital link between LifeSource and Chicago area healthcare
organizations. 800/486-0680
LifeSource Blood Services
Praises Ongoing Blood Drives
at St. Gilbert
St. Gilbert Church and the Knights of Columbus Precious Blood Council
#9689 of Grayslake IL received high praises from senior management of the
Glenview based LifeSource Blood Services. "I was delighted to
discover the actions of the Knights performing recurring blood drives at St.
Gilbert" commented Jim Davis, Life Source Blood Services Executive VP of
Operations. In a recent telephone interview Mr. Davis continued "LifeSource
Blood Services thanks the Knights of Columbus, St. Gilbert church staff, St.
Gilbert parishioners, and local community for the support given to assist in
your organization's repeat blood drives past, present and future. Year
round the need for blood donations is constant, so thanks again from all of us
for your collective efforts."
ABO group & Rh factor typing...
verifies blood type. A person's blood group is determined by
the genes that are inherited. ABO groups and Rh types occur in the United
States as follows:
O+ 1 in 3
O- 1 in 15
A+ 1 in 3
A- 1 in 16
B+ 1 in 12
B- 1 in 67
AB+ 1 in 29
AB- 1 in 140
Our
Council’s Success with an Ongoing Blood Drive Program
By Jim McClure
Recorder and Director of Community Events
Knights of Columbus Precious Blood Council #9689 of Grayslake IL
“It’s
great we do a blood drive once a year around the 4th of July,” I stated at a
general Knights meeting about 2 years ago, “Why don’t we just start doing
blood drives through out the year?” Personally, I know if I and others had an
easy way to give blood, we would give blood a lot more often.” In true K of C
fashion, I became our council’s blood drive chairperson
We
contacted our account executive at LifeSource Blood Services, and pitched our
idea of hosting ongoing blood drives through out the year. The organization was
quick to accept the offer. As a long-time blood donor myself, I was excited to
participate and run this simple program.
12
blood drives later, our repeat blood drive program has been a true success- we
make it easy, convenient, and fun hosting our blood drives at St Gilbert Church
on Sundays every 8 weeks – the required time frame between blood donations.
Our program currently has a large group of core donors, and we have been able to
recruit new Knights by showing, displaying and telling some of the positive
actions our council does for the church and local community. Each blood drive we
average collecting over 45 pints of
blood.
The
church and our council received high praises from senior management of the
Glenview, IL based LifeSource Blood Services. "I was delighted to
discover the actions of the Knights performing recurring blood drives at St.
Gilbert" commented Jim Davis, Life Source Blood Services Executive VP of
Operations. In a recent telephone interview Mr. Davis continued "LifeSource
Blood Services thanks the Knights of Columbus, St. Gilbert church staff, St.
Gilbert parishioners, and local community for the support given to assist in
your organization's repeat blood drives past, present and future. Year
round the need for blood donations is constant, so thanks again from all of us
for your collective efforts."
ARTICLES FROM BLOOD DRIVE NEWSLETTER
Knights Of Columbus
Report Winter, 2001 Blood Drive Another Huge Success
Grayslake IL – The Knights of
Columbus Precious Blood Council Number 9689 thank all new and experienced blood
donors that made the February 11, 2001 another tremendous success. “Again, we
are thrilled and excited with the reaction from blood donors to our efforts”
stated Jim McClure, Knights of Columbus Director of Community Events and St.
Gilbert parishioner. “Numerous donors have expressed they wanted a simple,
swift and convenient way to donate blood on a uniform basis, and with frequent
blood drives here at St. Gilbert it could not be easier. At the Winter, 2001
blood drive we provided donors with a fact sheet to encourage friends to also
donate blood. Communicating proactively with LifeSource Blood Services is
assisting in correcting past donation opportunities, as well as collective
community awareness to the importance of ongoing blood donations really makes a
difference” continued McClure, a blood donor since the early 1970’s.
Experienced and first time donors are encouraged to donate blood by the Knights
of Columbus. The Knights order has been called "the strong right arm
of the Church," and has been praised by popes, presidents and other world
leaders, for support of the Church, programs of evangelization and Catholic
education, civic involvement and aid to those in need in the Grayslake area.
LifeSource
Blood Services Praises Ongoing Blood Drives
at St. Gilbert Chapel Hall by Grayslake Knights Of Columbus
Glenview IL – St. Gilbert Church and The Knights of Columbus Precious Blood
Council Number 9689 of Grayslake, IL received high praises from senior
management of the Glenview based LifeSource Blood Services. “I was delighted
to discover the actions of the Knights performing recurring blood drives at St.
Gilbert” commented Jim Davis, LifeSource Blood Services Executive Vice
President of Operations. In a recent telephone interview Mr. Davis continued
“LifeSource Blood Services thanks the Knights of Columbus, St. Gilbert church
staff, St. Gilbert parishioners, and local community for the support given to
assist in your organization’s repeat blood drives past, present and future.
LifeSource Blood Services want’s to work with your group to help communicate
the positive actions and reactions in Grayslake by the Knights and St. Gilbert
with similar groups in the area for a cooperative “win-win” experience.
Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall the need for blood donations is a constant
locally and nationally, so thanks again from all of us for your organization’s
dedication, enthusiasm, and collective efforts.” LifeSource Blood Services, a
Chicago-based affiliate of ITxM, is a non-profit corporation established in 1987
through the merger of the Blood Center of Northern Illinois and the Red Cross
Blood Services - Mid America Region. LifeSource is also involved in the
continual upgrading of cell counters to improve both reliability and
productivity in providing platelet counts. Its reference lab participates in the
International Rare Donor Registry. These attributes form the vital link between
LifeSource and Chicago area healthcare organizations.
Dear Dr. Plasma: I’m a recurrent donor at K
of C St Gilbert blood drives, and was wondering if you could elucidate the
connotation of LifeSource Blood Services’ “Save 3 Lives Today” motto.
Repeat Donor in Grayslake
Dear Dr. Plasma: Have you
and your consulting staff researched when is the most challenging time for blood
donations? Ms. Wondering in Wildwood
DEAR MS. WONDERING: Yes, we
have. The winter season in Northern Illinois is one of the most challenging
times of year for the blood supply. Vacations, cold and incumbent weather and
the busy holiday season can result in a decrease in blood donations. While the
supply of available donors goes down, the need for blood transfusions remains
constant.
The best way to avoid winter blood shortages is to plan to donate twice this
winter – and is it ever easy to accomplish.
After our December 9th blood drive (see back of this sheet) our next blood drive
will be Sunday, February 3, 2002 – blood drives at St. Gilbert are every 56
days, the required time between donations. Giving blood can be a lot of fun and
helps your community. Remember to bring a “positive ID”, and that patients
who must have blood are counting on all of us!
Join and meet Dr. Plasma at the next
K of C blood drive - He enjoys the coffee, fruit juice and snacks after
donation, donates his blood on a regular basis, and is currently working on his
8th white paper on health, family, and community information to assist and
inform the social order.
If you could meet the people whose lives you save through blood donation, what
would they look like … and what would they say? They would be friends and
neighbors right here in the Grayslake area. They would look you in the eye and
wish there were words more powerful than "thank you." You would know
at that moment that few things in life will make you feel this good. If you are
an experienced donor, you know it’s wonderful to experience the overwhelming
feeling of goodness that comes with giving blood. This year over 4 million
Americans will need a "transfusion" to survive illness or injury. Next
year even more will need it as demand continues to grow. Blood is indeed
something special, It can't be manufactured. Yet, statistics show only five
percent of all possible donors actually roll up their sleeves and give –
Thanks for coming to the K of C blood drive at St. Gilbert! See you again in 8
weeks (see back of this sheet).
The
people who need blood come in all ages and from all ethnic and economic walks of
life. They require transfusions to replace blood they've lost during surgery,
because of accidents or internal bleeding, and to treat diseases. Many
recipients are hospital patients. Others are people who appear to be healthy.
Chances are you know people who have received a blood transfusion. They include
cancer patients, sickle cell patients, leukemia patients, premature infants,
hemophilia patients, surgery patients, accident victims and burn and trauma
victims.
Blood is
comprised of different parts, which serve different purposes. They include: Red
cells: blood cells that transport oxygen to body cells and remove carbon dioxide
from the bloodstream. White cells (leukocytes): blood cells that protect the
bloodstream from bacteria. Platelets: blood cells that help control bleeding by
helping the clotting process. Plasma: consisting of 92 percent water, seven
percent protein and one percent minerals, it's the source for gamma globulin,
albumin and clotting factors.
Thanks to
advances in medical technology, blood can be separated into its different
components. Hence, a unit can be broken down into these components, which then
can be given to people who have different blood needs. Red blood cells are used
to treat anemia and blood loss resulting from trauma and surgery. Some heart
operations can use up to 20 pints of red cells. Liver transplants normally use
10-20 pints and a hip replacement, 1-3 pints. Platelets are commonly used in
treating cancers like leukemia. One patient can require the platelets from eight
or more individual donations every day for weeks. Plasma is used for treating
hemophilia, surgical shock, severe burns and immunodeficiency.
Blood is identified by its
"type." There are four major blood types: A, B, AB and O. Each is
divided into Rh positive or negative types. Type O is the most common blood
type. Type O donors are referred to as "universal" because in an
emergency, their red blood cells can be transfused to people who have any other
blood type. Because any patient can receive type O blood, there is a need for O
donors to give regularly.
Blood types (in bold) and
average number of people having this type: A positive 34% A negative 6% B
positive 9% B negative 2% AB positive 3% AB negative 1% O positive 38% O
negative 7%
Regardless of how rare or
how common your blood type is, it's needed. Whatever your blood type, you are
important to someone, and probably have already made plans to be back to donate
again in June and tell others about giving blood.
Thanks again for your support!
Have a great day! See you in June! (See back of this sheet)
Dr.
Plasma and his consulting staff receive thousands of questions about blood
drives and giving blood. One suggestion was sharing a FAQ (frequently
asked question) sheet about many aspects of blood donation and the Knights of
Columbus blood drive program at St Gilbert. In response to that request Dr.
Plasma and his consulting staff have compiled a set of questions and answers.
Feel free to ask our staff
for more information on any of the topics.
How
long does it take to give blood?
The donation process includes
registration, a brief medical screening, the blood collection, and time for
refreshments in the canteen. For whole blood the entire donation process usually
takes about one hour and the blood collection segment is usually about 10
minutes. For apheresis (platelet) collections the entire process is about two
hours.
How much blood is taken?
Whole blood donations are approximately one pint.
Apheresis donations also take about a pint of fluid; both weigh approximately
one pound.
What are platelets?
Platelets, also known as thrombocytes, are tiny
cell fragments which circulate throughout the blood and aid in blood clotting.
How often can I give?
Whole blood donors may give once
every 56 days in order to allow plenty of time to replenish their red
cells. Apheresis(platelet) donors can donate more frequently, as much as
twice in one week up to 24 times per year, because the platelet and
plasma components are replaced in the body more quickly than red cells.
Platelets will return to normal levels within a few hours of donating. Plasma,
the watery substance of your blood, takes a couple of days. The red blood cells,
the oxygen carrying cells, can take two weeks or longer to fully return to
normal.
How much blood do I have in my body?
As a general rule, women have approximately 10
pints and men have approximately 12 pints of blood.
Is there a minimum or maximum age limit on
donating blood?
Minors may donate at 16 and 17 years old with
picture identification and a permission slip signed by a parent or
guardian. There is no upper age limit.
What is the universal blood type?
Type O negative, occurring in about 8% of the U.S.
population, is the universal donor and can give blood to any other blood type.
AB positive, which occurs in only 2.5% of the U.S. population, is the universal
recipient and can receive blood from any other blood type.
How long until my blood is used?
All blood donations are processed
and available for use within 24 hours. Whole blood is processed into components
(red cells, platelets, plasma). After processing, the red cells can be stored
for 42 days. Plasma can be frozen and stored for up to 12 months and platelets
(from whole blood or by apheresis) expire after 5 days.
Are the health history questions necessary every
time?
To ensure the safest possible blood supply, all
screening questions must be asked of all donors at each donation. The FDA
requires that all blood centers conform to this practice.
How can I increase my iron level?
Donors may be deferred from donating due to a low
iron (hematocrit) level. This requirement is for the safety of the donor to
ensure that after donation, the donor's iron level will still be within the
normal range for a healthy adult. A deferral for low hematocrit does not mean a
donor is anemic as hematocrit levels can fluctuate daily. Eating foods high in
iron (e.g. red meat, dark green vegetables, raisins) or taking a multivitamin
with iron may help increase iron levels.
Why are pregnant women unable to donate?
Although no problems have been reported, the safety
of donating blood during or shortly after pregnancy has not been fully
established. There may be medical risks to mother and baby if a blood donation
is made while pregnant or shortly after pregnancy.
Why is there often a blood shortage?
LifeSource strives to maintain an optimum inventory
level of a four day supply. Due to unpredictable demands from trauma incidents
the inventory fluctuates hourly. When the supply drops below a three day level,
PSBC begins alerting local donors to increase the inventory to a safe operating
level.
May I bring children into the screening room or
the drawing area?
Due to the risk of exposure to blood and needles in
the collection area and the need for complete confidentiality during screening,
children must remain in the canteen or waiting areas. We feel that it is
important to let the children know what their parents are doing, and if time
permits, we are more than happy to answer questions and explain the donation
process.
Who can donate Bone Marrow?
The criteria for donating bone marrow is different
from blood donation criteria. Some donors who are ineligible to donate blood can
still join the bone marrow registry. For more information call 1-800-DONATE-1
ext. 1897.
What’s Dr. Plasma’s favorite sports and hobbies?
Golf, tennis, traveling, gardening, cooking,
and spending time with family.
