News and Events

Updated January 25, 2011

What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)?
CFS, also known as chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS) or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is a complex and debilitating illness that affects the brain and multiple body systems. There is no test, known cause or cure for CFS. The syndrome is diagnosed by doctors after performing a careful medical history, physical examination and series of laboratory tests.

CFS and Blood Donation
Although there are currently no specific federal recommendations regarding the deferral of individuals with CFS or other diseases that have been associated with murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) infection, Blood Bank of Delmarva is taking a conservative approach with the deferral of these donors.

Some studies have associated XMRV infection with CFS and suggested that the virus may be transmissible through blood. However, at the present time these disease associations have yet to be confirmed, and there is currently insufficient data to conclude that XMRV is transmitted through blood transfusion.

For the safety of those with CFS and transfusion recipients, blood donors with the syndrome will be deferred while research continues. If you have CFS, please provide us with your contact information so we can let you know if and when our recommendations change.

Updated January 25, 2011

Background
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently revised their malaria risk criteria for individuals who travel or live outside the US and Canada. While the CDC has changed malaria risk criteria for many areas of the world, BBD believes the greatest impact will be for donors who travel to the resorts in Quintana Roo, Mexico. The CDC is not able to get specific information related to malaria cases in Quintana Roo. Therefore, blood centers, including Blood Bank of Delmarva, are taking a conservative approach and deferring donors who travel to these resorts [e.g., Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen and other resorts along the Caribbean coast].

New Criteria
All donors who travel to any part of Quintana Roo, Mexico will be deferred for one year from the date they left the risk area (residents of Quintana Roo will be deferred for three years). Before this change, there were some areas within the state that did not require deferrals.

The CDC will be revisiting this issue in May of 2011, and the hope is that they will be able to provide more specific risk information for Quintana Roo.

700 registered blood donors expected at 13th Annual Beach Blanket Blood Drive

Ocean City, MD - Hundreds of blood donors are expected to brave the winter temperatures along the coast and descend on the Ocean City Convention Center (40th Street and Coastal Highway) for the 13th Annual Beach Blanket Blood Drive on Tuesday, February 8 from 10am - 6pm and on Wednesday, February 9 from 9am - 5pm. The drive was established in 1999 to promote blood donation in the winter, a time when blood supplies typically dip as donors are kept away by colds and flu, bad weather and vacations. The Beach Blanket Blood Drive helps avoid blood shortages that affect other parts of the country.

"When this event was created, it was meant to be a fun way to draw attention to a serious challenge - filling blood donation schedules in the winter," said Roy Roper, Blood Bank president and CEO. "It remains that way today. This is a much-anticipated event, and many donors come back year after year. But despite the fun, it fills a seasonal void and hundreds of donors at the blood drive help save hundreds of lives."

The Blood Bank is aiming for 700 registered blood donors at the 2-day event, a goal that the organization exceeded last year for the first time in the event's history with 784 donors. Donors will receive a free t-shirt and the great feeling of having helped up to three hospital patients with a portion of their blood. The canteen will feature cookies, candy, donuts and snacks provided by Ocean City restaurants.

To make an appointment to give blood at this drive, call 1 888 8-BLOOD-8 or click HERE. Walk-ins will be taken as time allows.

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You'll be someone's hero... someone like 6-year-old Justice from Wilmington, Delaware. Just ask her grandmother, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Aleen Wilker.

"My granddaughter, Justice, was taken to the A.I. duPont Hospital for Children emergency room in October of 2009 with a tummy ache and distended abdomen. An x-ray and CT scan revealed devastating news - Justice had a tumor in her abdomen and had to be admitted immediately to the oncology unit. Doctors discovered that cancer was in her kidneys, liver and lungs. Justice began chemotherapy 3 days later, underwent a 13-hour surgery to remove the cancer, and continued chemo and regular blood transfusions over the next 11 months.

Excellent medical care and multiple blood transfusions were key to her survival. We just received excellent news - Justice is in remission! We are thankful for all of those who provided care, hope and blood for our sweet baby girl. I am one grateful 'mum-mum,' and I want to do whatever I can to recruit blood donors to help other children in dire health conditions." - Aleen Wilker, CRNA

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"There was a time in my youth when I did not donate blood. Then I took an all-expense-paid, four-month vacation to beautiful Parris Island, South Carolina - courtesy of the United States Marine Corps.

The day came for blood donations, and our Senior Drill Instructor encouraged the entire platoon to participate. He ended by asking if there were any questions. One recruit asked if it hurt. The rest of the platoon braced for the expected harangue about weakness, and the irrelevance of pain.

Our Senior DI, a thrice-wounded veteran of three tours of Vietnam, silently scanned the platoon before answering in an unexpected soft voice:

Getting shot hurts.
Watching another Marine die because the Corpsman doesn't have enough blood to keep him alive hurts.
No Marine is ever going to die because this Marine is afraid of a little pin prick.

God willing, I will continue to donate blood for another third of a century."

To join Don in his lifesaving efforts, make an appointment to give blood by calling 1 888 8-BLOOD-8 or clicking HERE.

Grasonville, MD - Blood Bank of Delmarva is hosting a community blood drive in Grasonville on Wednesday, February 2 from 1pm - 6pm at the Immanuel United Methodist Church (102 Schoolhouse Lane). This is a new location added to the four Blood Bank donor centers and 29 established mobile blood drive locations throughout Delmarva. Blood that is donated in Grasonville and at other Blood Bank locations helps patients survive life-threatening accidents or conditions.

"Blood Bank of Delmarva provides blood to 16 hospitals on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and in Delaware, including Chester River Hospital, Memorial Hospital at Easton and Dorchester General Hospital," said Carrie Aiken, spokesperson for Blood Bank of Delmarva. "It's a wonderful arrangement. Local blood donors are saving the lives of local patients."

The first community blood drive in Grasonville last November received a good response. The goal is to hold quarterly blood drives at this location. The support of Grasonville residents will be crucial to its ongoing success.

The Blood Bank also hosts monthly blood drives in Easton and Centreville.

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT
Appointments to give blood at the drive are strongly encouraged, but walk-ins will be taken as time allows. For an appointment or to become a Blood Bank member, call 1 888 8-BLOOD-8.

Individuals who are 17 years of age or older, weigh at least 110 pounds, are in general good health, and have had no tattoos or body piercings within the past 12 months meet the minimum requirements to give blood.

Salisbury, MD - After the landmark merger between Blood Bank of Delaware and Blood Bank of the Eastern Shore on January 23, 1991, the organization is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of this union and two decades of progress made in blood collection and ensuring a stable blood supply.

Before the merger, Blood Bank of the Eastern Shore (BBES) solely recruited blood donors and scheduled them to give blood at local hospitals. The organization did not handle any aspect of blood collection. This caused many logistical challenges for hospitals. Donors were recruited and sent to the hospitals to give blood, but they were not necessarily the blood type needed at that time. Hospitals exchanged blood on their own to meet urgent needs. Also, hospitals were struggling to keep pace with an increase in testing requirements as well as technological advances in blood banking. Hospitals needed blood products but did not want to be in the business of collecting blood.

On January 23, 1991, a cooperative agreement merged BBES and Blood Bank of Delaware (BBD) into one organization governed by a combined board of directors. BBD had already been serving as a full service blood bank since 1977, meaning it collected, tested and processed blood and delivered it to the hospitals it served. The initial agreement between the two blood banks called for building donor centers in Salisbury and Easton and for the combined organization to begin blood collection for the first time on the Eastern Shore.

"As one entity, Blood Bank of Delaware/Eastern Shore was able to offer a more effective service to hospitals, patients and members," said Roy Roper, Blood Bank president and CEO. "It has provided a steady supply of blood for local hospitals over the years without incurring blood shortages. The merger has also increased the purchasing power for the organization and lowered operational costs."

In 2004, the organization's name changed to Blood Bank of Delmarva to better reflect the service area. There are now 34 donation locations throughout Delaware, Cecil County and the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and Accomack County, Virginia, as well as school blood drive locations. More than 350 blood donors are needed every day to maintain the local blood supply. Blood Bank of Delmarva supplies blood to 16 hospitals on Delmarva for about 20,000 patients a year.

Lee Lee Jones, 17, and her 21-year-old brother, Jesse, were in a horrible car accident last June. Jesse suffered minor injuries, but Lee Lee's wounds left her fighting for her life. Blood donors helped give her a second chance.

As soon as Lee Lee and Jesse pulled out onto Route 13 in Delmar, their car's tire rod broke sending the car into a spin. The car went down a ditch and sliced through 130 feet of trees. Jesse was conscious and hanging half way out of the driver's seat with his seat belt in place. He looked over and saw Lee Lee nonresponsive. When he grabbed her left arm, it was only hanging on by a thread. The arteries and muscles were severed, and she was losing blood rapidly. Jesse held her arm to stop the bleeding and yelled for someone to call 911.

"Once emergency crews were on the way, Jesse called me. He was screaming and I couldn't understand him. It was a nightmare," said their mother, Chris Melvin. "When I got to the scene, no one would tell me just how badly Lee Lee was injured. The medics were crying, the firefighters were upset, and I didn't know if she was still alive."

Lee Lee was airlifted to Christiana Hospital but wasn't expected to survive.

However, five hours after the accident, doctors told Chris that they were going to be able to re-attach Lee Lee's arm from the elbow down and repair her arteries. They said she had lost more than a third of her blood volume and needed blood transfusions.

"I had so much going through my mind at that moment, but to know that I didn't have to worry about there being a safe, adequate blood supply gave me such peace of mind," said Chris. "Blood donors gave my daughter a second chance. She has already had 4 operations and now has 75% usage of her arm. It is amazing! I'm so grateful to the wonderful hospital staff and the people who took the time to donate the blood that saved Lee Lee's life."

Chris encourages all of her friends, coworkers, and neighbors to give blood regularly. To help patients like Lee Lee, call 1 888 8-BLOOD-8 or click HERE.

Student members will earn a chance to win a $100 VISA gift card or an iPAD every time they give blood. Because this promotion is exclusively for student members, the odds of winning are great!

The promotion is simple. Here's how it works:
Beginning February 1, 2011, a drawing will take place on the first of every month for a $100 VISA gift card. One student member will be selected monthly, and only those who gave blood during the prior month will be eligible. For example, all student members who gave blood from January 1 to January 31, 2011 will be entered into the February drawing.

At the same time, there will be quarterly drawings for larger prizes. On April 1, 2011, an iPad will be given away to a student member who gave blood between January 1 and March 31, 2011. Only those who gave blood during that three month period will be eligible for the drawing. NOTE: Monthly gift card winners are also eligible for quarterly prizes.

Monthly alerts will be sent to all student members about these drawings for prizes, and winners will be notified through an email and a phone call only. If there is no response within 7 days, an alternate winner will be selected. To update your contact information, please call 1 888 8-BLOOD-8.

Remember, blood donors can give blood every 56 days, and each blood donation is another chance to win! Get involved in the "Give-N-Get" promotion and make an appointment to give blood today. Call 1 888 8-BLOOD-8 or click HERE.

For more information on becoming a student member, call Lisa Gravely at (302) 737-8405 ext. 887 or click HERE.

More than 700 registered blood donors expected at Beach Blanket Blood Drive

Ocean City, MD - Blood Bank of Delmarva is returning to the Ocean City Convention Center (40th Street and Coastal Highway) on Tuesday, February 8 from 10am - 6pm and on Wednesday, February 9 from 9am - 5pm for the 13th Annual Beach Blanket Blood Drive. The drive was established in 1999 to promote blood donation in the winter, a time when blood supplies typically dip as donors are kept away by colds and flu, bad weather and vacations.

The Blood Bank is aiming for 700 registered blood donors at the 2-day event, a goal that the organization exceeded last year for the first time in the event's history with 784 donors.

Donors will receive a free t-shirt and the great feeling of having helped up to three hospital patients with a portion of their blood. The canteen will feature cookies, candy, donuts and snacks provided by Ocean City restaurants.

To make an appointment to give blood at this drive, call 1 888 8-BLOOD-8 or click HERE. Walk-ins will be taken as time allows.