Why you’re better than 32% of most people

By Ian Seth Levine, Volunteer

I'm not going to try to convince you to donate blood. There's something so sacred about blood that we create folklore centered on creatures taking it from us: the German Alp, the Jewish Lilitu, the Latin American Chupacabra. While these creatures aren't real, our fear of losing something valuable is.  And from that fear stems myths not only about losing blood, but also about freely giving it away. For example, many people think that donating blood is an inconvenient, unnecessary, and painful way to contract an exotic and incurable disease. But much like Dracula, these are only myths.

Here are the facts:
A single car accident victim could need up to 100 pints of blood. If we took all of the drivers who crashed their cars last year in Virginia, we could completely pack Camden Yards, Yankee Stadium, PNC Field, and BB&T Ballpark. A person can donate only one pint of blood at a time, so can you really rely on enough people to step up and donate should you need it?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. Why? 17% of people surveyed who don't donate blood say it's because they "never thought about it." In other words, if you asked one hundred people to help you after a serious collision, the first seventeen would completely ignore you. Then, an additional fifteen people would tell you they're "too busy.”

I'm not going to presume to know your schedule. I know only my schedule. I teach for two universities, write articles and blog posts for American Red Cross, and run my namesake blog about writing. It took me longer than I'd care to admit, but I'm not as busy as I thought. In between my responsibilities were pockets of down time, which I tended to fill with binge-watching and PinstaSnap BookTube. But in less time than it took to watch an episode of Narcos, even I donated blood.

 

I think blood is fascinating. For example, the milky blue blood of the horseshoe crab is so good at detecting infections it's valued at $14,000 a quart by biomedical companies. Your blood has traces of gold in it. Some insects have violet blood. Dogs have blood types just like humans.

And, if you scheduled an appointment to donate right now, you'd be better than 32% of most people.

Where did A, B & O go? Red Cross needs YOU to fill the Missing Types

N_tice _nything missing? A few missing letters may not seem like a big deal, but for a hospital patient who needs type A, B or O blood, these letters mean life. 

As part of an international movement, the American Red Cross is launching the Missing Types campaign to raise awareness of the need for new blood donors – and those who haven’t given in a while – to donate and help ensure lifesaving blood is available for patients in need. You may notice A’s, B’s and O’s – representing the main blood groups – missing from signage, websites, social media and other public-facing platforms to illustrate the critical role every blood donor plays.

The sad fact is that blood shortages are not uncommon in the U.S. and other parts of the world. But they can be prevented when more people roll up a sleeve to give.

When blood types go missing 

“Can you imagine your child or loved one actually needing lifesaving blood and to be told there may be no blood at the blood bank? That happened to us two times with blood and platelets,” said Susie Dotson, whose daughter Lily needed more than a dozen blood and platelet transfusions during treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Hearing that the hospital didn’t have the blood or platelets Lily needed – and that she would have to wait for transfusions – was incredibly frustrating and eye-opening for the Dotson family.
“People automatically think blood is there. They don’t realize we’re relying on their blood donation,” said Susie. “Lily needed blood products just as much as the chemo or the treatment.”

Today, Lily has been cancer-free for four years and will be celebrating her 12th birthday this summer. 

Join the movement

1. Give blood – Schedule your appointment at RedCrossBlood.org/MissingTypes or with the Blood Donor App.
2. Recruit new donors – Encourage a friend or family member to roll up a sleeve too.
3. Spread the word – 
• Take a photo with one of these selfie signs and post it to your social media along with the message “I am the #MissingType.” 
• Write out your name with the A’s, B’s and O’s missing on the “blank” selfie sign, and take a photo with it. (Underscores are recommended. Example: _meric_n Red Cr_ss)
• Visit RedCrossBlood.org to share a Missing Types message on your social media.

What to expect at your donation

Giving blood is simple. Commit about an hour of your day to help save a life.

• Registration – Sign in, show your ID and read the required information. 
• Health check – Answer questions and receive a mini-physical. 
• Donation – Giving a pint of blood takes about 8-10 minutes.
• Refreshments – Enjoy some snacks and relax before resuming your day.

Speed up the donation process by completing the pre-donation reading and answering your health history questionnaire online with RapidPass on the day of your donation.

 

Y_u _re the #MissingType p_tients need. Don’t wait until the letters A, B and O go missing from the hospital shelves. Schedule your appointment to give now.