Finding willing blood donors is an ongoing task for Mayo Clinic and other blood centers throughout the country. Fewer than 10 percent of those who could give blood ever do. Yet whole blood, platelets and plasma are needed on a daily basis by thousands of people for whom these donations are literally lifesavers.
Donating blood is easy, something regular donors have discovered. Walk in, answer a few questions and get an almost painless needle stick, before enjoying a restful few minutes as professionals handle the rest of the work. With platelets, more time is needed, but you can enjoy a movie and have some coffee or snacks as the process continues.
In rare cases, platelet recipients may react with an antibody present in the platelets of some donors. Fortunately, a test now detects this antibody in potential donors, keeping them from donating platelets that could cause problems.
While this is definitely an important finding, it means the number of potential donors has been significantly reduced, and many of us have been removed from the platelet pool. The number of people needing this life-giving fluid has not, however, gone down.
Now more than ever, we need men and women to consider stopping by a blood center to donate what could easily be a lifesaver for one or even more recipients.
ADVERTISEMENT
Helen Laack
Rochester
