Why do I give blood?

According to this article (available online until May 22nd), dealing with the effect that SARS is going to have in terms of the US blood supply, while over half of American adults are eligible to donate blood, only about 5% do so. Yes, that's not a typo...only 5. This is one of the reasons why I continue to do so, despite having to work around a latex allergy, my diabetes, small, rolling veins, and a tendency to have my hemocrit bottom out on the day I try to donate. I've always felt it was a duty (I started donating at age 17). I don't donate as often as I should (usually once or twice a year), and after reading that statistic I think I'm going to have to try more often. I figure I spent six years with my ex and miraculously didn't come down with HIV--the least I can do is step in for those who might no longer be able to donate.

I knew organ donation was abysmally low, and as someone with O+ blood, this has even more reason to concern me (the trouble with being a near universal donor is that you can only take organs and blood from people with O blood type. That's not so bad for blood, because there are a lot of us out there, but in order to donate organs not only does the type have to be right, the size, etc., but a person has to die in a particular way. I didn't realise it till I went to an inservice but in order to donate organs you really have to have a closed head wound or some sort of injury that causes brain death without destroying the organs. That's harder to come by. People with O tend to wait much longer than others for scarce organs).

What can you do?

1) Donate blood if and when you can. Every region has a blood centre, sometimes through the Red Cross, sometimes through another agency. Often blood mobiles come to workplaces, smaller communities, schools, etc. Never donate blood just to find out if you have HIV--go to a health department for that; it should be anonymous and you'll get better counseling.

2) Sign your driver's licence or other donor card and talk to your family about your wishes. Even if you sign and have it witnessed, a family member can object when it comes time to donate.

3) Consider signing up for a marrow donor programme. Usually you can do this when you donate blood--just tell them and they'll take an extra tubeful. You go into a registry to be matched with patients who need marrow to live. It's unlikely you'll ever be called to donate, but the wider and diverse the registry, the better chance people have for life. It's especially difficult to find marrow donors for minorities. Like other personal health information--in this country, anyway--the info on the registry is private and protected by law.

Why should you do it? Other than the altruistic/humanitarian reasons, the simple fact of the matter is none of us know when someone we love might need a donation. The more people who donate, the better chance we all have at living a fuller life. The article quoted Dr Krista Hillyer of the Red Cross as saying, ``People want a zero-risk blood supply, but the most dangerous thing is not having blood there when you need it.'' That pretty much sums it up, don't you think?