A message from David Schucker, a blood donor in Dover, DE
What do you do for your community? Do you coach the local kids in sports? Or does the thought of being surrounded by dozens of kids (and their victory hungry parents) scare you? Are you a member of your local volunteer fire department? Not into Bingo Night?
Well, I have an easy job for you. All you have to do is sit there and let some one else fuss over you. You get to watch TV and there are cookies when you are done. No, there's no catch. Well, maybe a little one; I'd like you to give blood.
The Eagle Group is one of the 2300+ businesses and organizations that have joined the Blood Bank of Delmarva. That means we all have the option to join the blood bank. Five dollars a year and you are covered in case you or your family needs blood. But just joining is not enough. The blood bank needs your blood. More than 75,000 blood donations are needed in this area each year for more than 20,000 patients across the Delmarva Peninsula. There are 370 blood donors needed every day for patients at hospitals on Delmarva. There are 4 donor centers (Newark, DE, Wilmington, DE, Dover, DE and Salisbury, MD) and 27 convenient donor sites located throughout Delmarva.
Blood does not store for very long. Red blood cells, used for traumas, have a 42-day shelf life. Platelets, the clotting element in the blood that is used for cancer and leukemia patients, have a shelf life of 5 days. Plasma, which is mainly used for burn victims, has a shelf life of one year.
I give blood. I have donated over 6 gallons (one pint at a time) over the years as just a regular donor, then as a Lifesaver and now as a platelet donor I have given 10 more times. The actual time it takes to give a pint of blood is only 5 to 10 minutes but the whole time invested (from you coming in the door until you go out the door) is about an hour. There is the mini physical and the questions (yes they ask them every time) before the actual donation and then the time afterwards spent in the canteen enjoying the cookies. During the donation process, you can watch TV with your feet up. Giving platelets will take about 2 hours, door to door.
Yeah, OK, I have not mentioned how they do it. Well, they do have to get blood from you and a punch in the nose is just not efficient. The needle in your arm is like a little pinch and then the pain is done. Don't dwell on it, just watch the TV or joke with the technicians. Think of me, I have one in each arm when I give the platelets and that takes more than the 10 minutes. I can't even scratch my nose for an hour.
I know some of you don't like needles, but there are more of you who are not bothered by them. Think of the people who need the blood; if someone you know needed it, wouldn't you want it to be available? I was glad it was there when I was 19 and got burned in a truck accident. I guess you could say I am paying it back.
When I first joined, the blood bank called you about every 36 months. The need has gone up and now the membership requirement is for you to give every 18 to 24 months. You can give blood more often and accumulate credits that can be saved or transferred to other members who are unable to give. Whole blood can be given every 56 days (8 weeks), while platelets can be given every 14 days (I go once a month, after work). They usually take plasma (28 days) when you donate platelets. Double red blood cells (112 days) are not donated in Dover so I don't know about them.
When there is a need outside of our area, the blood bank can and does send needed blood, like to Houston because of Hurricane Ike. Most of it is used right here at these hospitals:
A.I. duPont Hospital for Children
Atlantic General Hospital
Bayhealth Medical Center - Dover
Bayhealth Medical Center - Milford
Beebe Medical Center
Chester River Hospital
Christiana Hospital
Dorchester General Hospital
Easton Memorial Hospital
McCready Memorial Hospital
Nanticoke Memorial Hospital
Peninsula Regional Medical Center
St. Francis Hospital
Union Hospital
V.A. Hospital - Elsmere
V.A. Hospital - Perry Point
Wilmington Hospital
Call (302) 737-8400 or (888) 825-6638 and make an appointment.
Be a quiet hero and give blood. For our community.
- By David Schucker, Dover, DE
