Blood Services - Speaker Anne Blackstone - 9/29/10

[robink]

Thank you all for being so great for our speaker from blood services!

Please write a response regarding your impressions from our discussion today.
What are some things that were said that stuck out to you? What role or action do you plan to take after hearing about the demand for blood and responsibilities of blood drive volunteers? In what ways does Blood Services incorporate the mission and fundamental principles of the American Red Cross?

[milagros_p]

     What most interests me about the presentation on The Red Cross -blood services is the amount of aid that they serve to the country. It is very impressive that one sole organization is able to provide almost 50 % of the nations blood. What was even more surprising to me is that only 3%  of the population acutally is eligible to donate blood. This means that these three percent of the population are the reason why most of the blood recipients are able to receive the blood they need. I feel that although I knew about the American Red cross my understanding was not as broad as it is becoming now. I didn't  know the value of these blood drives other than that people who need it are being supplied with it.I was completely oblivious to the extent that the Red Cross operates and to the people it reaches.

     I feel that people do not donate because they are not informeed abbout the need of blood. People aere unaware of how lmany lives they can change and that there are many awaiting donation, especiallu patients who have cancer ad who need a rare blood tupe. Others might be scared of donating nlood and are hesitant to donate; people might even be  scared of needles or blood itself. Mostly though there are exeptions, people are not awareof the process and how quickly it is to go to a center or attend a blood drive. If people n\knew about the process I believe more will be willing to donate as they will know that they don't have to spend too much time from work or other duties to become a donor.

     Going on another subject , I think that the FDA prohibition on homosexuals donation of blood is descriminatory. They are not allowed to donatee blood because of their sexual orientation, even though they are willing to donate blood when the majority of the nation does not donate. I understand that there might be  some helath aspect to it but homosexuals should not be restricted from doing a good deed. Even though there are risks of illness in their part they should at least be tested and then denied the right to donate because they can't, not because they are simply labeled. If they have no impediment to donate blood they should be able to.

[capodaca]

I really enjoyed the presentation given to the class by Anne Blackstone.  There were numerous things in regards to American Red Cross Blood Services that I was unaware of prior to the lecture.  I was shocked to find out that American Red Cross Blood Services collects and distributes close to half the nation’s blood supply.  This fact shows the importance of the organization in contributing immensely to the saving of lives.  Furthermore, another point in the presentation that stuck out to me was the fact that a small proportion of the population donates blood.  Although someone needs blood every 2 seconds, only about 3 percent of the population actually contributes.  Because a small minority donates blood, it is a top priority for the Blood Services to inform the public and get the word out.

The demand for blood nationally has encouraged me to donate, and volunteer at blood drives.  Although I’m terrified of needles, I feel as though the reward is worth the fright.  Thus, my donation will go along with many others in helping with those in need.  I feel as though it is my duty since I’ve become informed to inform others of the need to donate blood.  As a volunteer at the blood drives, I will see to it that I take great responsibility in the service work.

Blood Services incorporates the mission and fundamental principles of the American Red Cross by advocating an agenda that encourages individuals to help towards the betterment of society.  Like the American Red Cross, Blood Services is a selfless act.  It requires a person to help without asking for any reward in return.  Without these organizations, the world would be in dire need of blood and natural relief help. 

[jleewest]

     I was shocked to discover that only three percent of the population donates blood. To me, it seems like common sense to donate blood: to save a life all you have to do is sit in a chair for less than an hour. It just frustrates me that 92 percent of the population that is eligible to donate blood doesn’t take advantage of this opportunity to help another human being. More than three percent of the population spends at least an hour sitting in a chair unproductively playing video games or watching television, an hour that could’ve been spent saving a life by doing essentially the same thing. Furthermore, one can only donate once every two months so overall only six hours in an entire year would be spent if one donated regularly. That’s six lives that could be saved with not much effort on the donors’ part. Understandably, there are multiple factors why some eligible people don’t donate; however, this doesn’t account for the entire 92 percent. Additionally, I was startled to hear that only about forty percent of the population is even eligible to donate blood, an exceptionally lower number than I had previously thought.
     After hearing about these issues, I am inspired to not only continue donating blood regularly, but also to encourage my friends to donate blood regularly as well. Blood Services incorporates Humanity and Impartiality because it provides blood to save lives for anyone who needs it regardless of race, nationality, class, etc…It employs Voluntary Service in that the main force of Blood Services is run by volunteers. Additionally, Blood Services demonstrate Unity in that everyone from donor to the nurse that draws the blood to the person in the lab testing the blood to the transporter of the units to the doctor that provides the patient with the transfusion are all working together to save a life.   

[bcb]

        I thought that Anne Blackstone was a great speaker. I also thought that what she had to say was both informative and a wake up call. The biggest thing that hit me was that only 3% actually donate blood. The statistic that people need blood every two seconds is unbelievable.
   I found it interesting that there are approximately 1 million volunteers that make up the Red Cross. 90% of the Red Cross is unpaid! It shows that there are people out there willing to make a difference without any money in return. I feel like especially now a day, that’s rare!
   I also didn’t know that there are other organizations that supply blood. The Red Cross is responsible for about 42% of the U.S. blood supply, or about 7 million units of blood annually. That was eye opening to me, because I was naïve in thinking the Red Cross was the only blood supplier. 
   I think that the number for people donating is slow low because some people don’t know what a huge impact it makes, and some people are not allowed. Like I was in 7 third world counties in the last year so I can’t donate. I would love to, but the rules say that I am not allowed. I also know of people that have a low iron count, so they can’t donate. I know that they have these regulations for a reason, but I think it also turns down a lot of people willing to donate.

[feliciachiang]

Having an American Red Cross Representative come in and give a powerpoint talk about her division of ARC was really interesting for me as before Wednesday, I did not know anything about blood services within the realm of American Red Cross or even in the United States.

In the discussion, it was sadly unsurprising to me to find that only 3% of the US population donates blood every year. It was a little surprising to me to find that 6-7% of people eligible to donate do donate blood, which is a comfort to me to see that there is a relatively large percentage of people who are willing to give 10% of their life's blood in order to safe some one else's life. It was, however, astonishing to hear that every 2 seconds, someone has a need for a blood transfusion. I only wish that there could be a way for less restrictions to be imposed on blood donors, such as the weight requirement. I feel it would be reasonable for Red Cross to implement a half liter option for people who are a little under the requirement for weight or maybe even a little lower iron count than needed.
What struck me interesting is that hospitals pay for the blood that is donated from the Red Cross. Earlier I had been under the impression that blood was freely distributed by need basis and that the blood process was funded through donation alone.

Although I would love to say I will take action and donate blood as often as possible after hearing this presentation, I am one of the 40% of people who are ineligible to donate blood as I have a low iron count, and high APTT. It is a little sad for me that I am not in good enough condition to prolong the life of someone in need, but on the other hand, I feel it would be a great experience to still be a part of the blood donation process in the position of a volunteer.

The blood services division of Red Cross is a great example of the humanity and voluntary service that ARC embodies. The 42% of blood that is pumped into the lives of the needy yearly in America shows just how much even a minority of people care. This 3% of the population regularly involving themselves in blood service top the list of the selfless who expect virtually no gain for themselves. Hearing this discussion of people repeatedly donating blood time after time really inspires me, as blood is not just a signing away of money (however helpful donations may be). People who donate blood recognize and fulfill one of the deepest, most basic human need for survival.

[lil_chen]

This week’s blood services discussion was a lot more informative than I expected, and I realized just how much I didn’t know about donating blood. I have never donated blood before, so before this week’s discussion, I hadn’t really imagined the process of donating blood to involve so many screening steps. I also didn’t realize the number and variety of responsibilities that blood drive volunteers have, especially in providing quality customer service to donors. It made me appreciate the care and concern that Red Cross staff and volunteers have for the safety of both blood donors and recipients. The statistics that Anne Blackstone provided also surprised me; for example, while the American Red Cross provides almost half of the nation’s supply of blood, only 3% of the population donates blood. This was a drastically smaller number than I anticipated. Admittedly, a reason why I have never donated blood (although I’ve certainly considered it) was because I thought that my contribution wouldn’t make a significant difference and that there were many other donors. Also, being on the cusp of the minimum weight requirement has also made me a bit hesitant . However, after learning that so few people donate blood, and especially in light of the fact that there is such an immense need for it, I have greatly reconsidered the role that I can play in helping those who need blood. Although my weight still makes me hesitate slightly in donating blood, I won’t take my potential contribution for granted and, the next time a blood drive comes up, I may think more about the numbers that I learned in this week’s discussion and consider how I can use my health (through my blood) to help someone else.

By encouraging people to voluntarily help others through donating their blood, Blood Services is just one way that the ARC demonstrates its dedication to its fundamental principles. In particular, blood donations incorporate the value of humanity because people are choosing to give away their blood in order to help a stranger – perhaps even a number of strangers. In this sense, Blood Services also advocates unity, especially because there are so many people working together at different levels to make these charitable acts happen, such as technicians, staff members, and volunteers, and in different areas, from the physical to mobile units.

-Lillian Chen

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               Generosity in any form and value can go a really long way. One act of generosity doesn’t require weeks of hard work, or a huge amount of money, but is valuable enough to save a life- donating blood. I myself have always wanted to donate since high school, but was rejected many times due to low weight and low iron. I’m going to take a chance when there’s an opportunity, since blood drives are always around the corner waiting for a willing individual like me. With a great number of organizations conducting blood drives in many places, donating blood isn’t as difficult to achieve. However, based on the handout given at our American Red Cross  Decal class, only 3% of the population actually donate blood.
   Additionally, Ann Blackwell said that only 2%  of the blood collected by ARC is dispatched as waste. This is even a rare circumstance; most of the time, all of the donated blood supply are quickly ordered and distributed to hospitals in need of them. If this is the daily scenario, then there is a possibility that  there wouldn’t be enough blood supply when comes in time a much larger catastrophic event.
   If more people could just spend a little of their time to visit a blood drive and give their blood, then the resource would be much more abundant. Making blood donating a habit is more beneficial for the person and the community; the donator’s blood would be replenished on a regular basis, rejuvenating his health, while the community is secured a pint more of blood for a citizen in need in the future.
   The ideal scenario is just an incessant give-and-take between the donator and the community. But in reality, not all who wish to donate their blood get the opportunity to do so. There are those who are too bold but too young, physically impassable and, the more controversial, the unqualified queers. The policy about gay people is still unclear to me; I’m not sure if any gay person is not allowed to make a blood donation. But between the law and the policies of ARC, I have always find the latter more humane than the former, and unless a person, straight or gay, is likely to pass a disease or infection through their blood to a recipient, he or she should have the chance to donate blood. Rejecting gay people is partial against a certain group, very much against one of the principles of Red Cross. But there are so many factors to consider I do not know, so I can’t establish my own opinion towards the issue.
   Blood donation is just a universal act of charity, and everyone who contributes to the success of each blood drive exemplifies a good volunteer.  The Blood Services of ARC is a very inspiring branch of this humanitarian group, working without expecting personal gain except the satisfaction of helping more and more lives. For this, I am looking forward to working at an ARC Blood Drive in the near future.

[Hutchins]

Blood services for the American red cross are so important for the life and death of hospitalized patients in critical care.  I think Anne Blackstone's talk really brought together the link between who needs blood and who gives blood.  It is fairly complex to be able to give blood but the immediate help that it brings specifically to cancer patients really is amazing. 
One of the things I found really interesting is how blood services operates fairly separately from the rest of the American red cross services.  I was always very curios how a non-profit organization such as the red cross had the ability to supply over a long period of time a consistent amount of blood.  In the talk last week it became very clear that blood supply is a in need every day even more specifically every second.  I was very impressed how organized and specific the process of blood donating is and how well the service in the bay area is run.
One thing that we did not really discuss is how blood supply is donated in the arms of a disaster.  I think this probably brings a new perspective to blood services and am interested in learning more about it. 

[Emerson Sibrian]

   Last week in class a representative of the American Red Cross talk to us about how the blood line of the Red Cross works and why it is so important. The representative, Anne Blackstone, told us how the blood service operates differently than the other branches of the red cross. She mentioned how they have their own offices and have to work under stricter rules and regulations because they’re working with blood. She explained to us the procedures to donate blood and how it is more complicated than we think but is very rewarding. The key to getting more people to donate blood is customer service because by making them feel good they keep coming back regularly.
   After hearing about how important the blood service is, I feel the need to help in some way, either by volunteering at one of the blood drives or donating blood. This whole time I thought people hardly donated during blood drives and the blood that was collected was stored for a long time to be used later. After the presentation I learned that was not the case. Lots of people donate blood and mostly all of the blood is used immediately. Hardly any goes to waste because of the high demand of it. Also it is not only the Red Cross that collects blood but also other organizations do it to help different causes.
   They incorporate the missions and fundamental principles by staying true to the seven fundamental principles of the Red Cross. All the blood they collect is from volunteers who are willing to give their blood, they are not paid. They do not discriminate against people who want to donate blood. Even though they have to abide by more rules they still advertised they are stay true to the Red Cross mission statement.


-Emerson Sibrian