The Cayuga County Chapter of the American Red Cross has been challenged this summer by The NY/Penn Blood Region as one of only five designated communities across the state to collect 250 units of blood in 10 hours. We have never collected this amount of blood in one day #- but we know we can do it.
The Community That Cares Mega Blood Drive will be held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 17, at The Auburn Public Theater in downtown Auburn. Our thanks to Carey Eidel and the board of the theater for allowing us to tap into this new community arts resource to use as the site for this huge drive and to all the churches, businesses and civic groups which are helping to recruit donors from their membership and employee base. Look for signs all over the city.
Why donate blood? Nationally only 4 percent of people who can give blood do, but here in Cayuga County, 8.2 percent give. That is why we are a Community That Cares. We also know that 1-out-of-3 of us will need blood at some point in our lives. Blood cannot be manufactured - it must come from a caring individual willing to take one hour out of a busy schedule to give The Gift of Life.
The flooding in the southern tier continues to impact blood collection. As families recover from the devastation, donating blood is low on their list of priority activities; yet, they might need blood due to accidents or illness. The Red Cross has lost several days supply of blood due to storms across our region and is calling for donors in all areas to give blood and strengthen blood supplies. Blood drives were canceled as both donors and phlebotomists could not get to the drive sites. The Red Cross is urging eligible donors to give blood to recover and increase the blood supply. The Red Cross can only meet the community need for blood during this vital period with the continued generosity of the region's blood donors. All blood types are needed, particularly type O Negative.
The summer is a very trying time for the blood banking industry. School breaks, vacations and the weather all have an impact on our ability to collect enough blood to meet demand. We all know that our lovely Owasco Lake can entice us away from summer commitments as the cool breezes blow.
Who uses blood? Individuals undergoing surgery regularly need blood. Young children with a life threatening disease need blood. Victims of boating and car accidents need blood. Cancer patients need blood. Blood product transfusions are often needed to replace important components of blood when there are not enough in the body, either because they are not being made or because they have been lost.
People with cancer can need blood because of the cancer itself. Some cancers cause internal bleeding which leads to anemia. Others cancers start in the bone marrow or spread from other places crowding out the normal blood making cells leading to low blood counts. People who have had cancer for some time may develop what is known as “anemia of chronic disease.” Cancer lowers blood counts indirectly by affecting other organs which maintain blood levels such as the kidneys and spleen.
Cancer treatments may also lead to the need for blood. Surgery to treat cancer is often a major operation and there may be significant blood loss. Most chemotherapy drugs affect cells in the bone marrow leading to low levels of white blood cells which put a person at risk of life-threatening infections or bleeding. Radiation used to treat a large area of bone can affect bone marrow and lead to reduced blood cell counts.
Here is a message from the mother of a 5-year-old boy telling the story of his need for blood:
“Robert's hemoglobin had dropped to 2.8 #- normal for his age is between 11.5 and 13.5. At the emergency room, he was diagnosed with Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia - a rare blood condition where the red blood cells are produced healthy but are later destroyed by getting trapped in the spleen due to infection.
“Because of his low hemoglobin count, the hematologist informed us that the last resort was a blood transfusion. If the cells from the transfusion were destroyed, the doctor prepared us for the fact that nothing else could be done to save Robert's life.
“Robert is alive today. I will be forever grateful to the hero who donated blood which has saved my only child's life. Please donate blood - you never know whose hero you might be.”
-Written by Robert's mother who is a regular blood donor.
Think about giving blood at The Community That Cares Blood Drive or at one of the 12 drives in September at spots all over the county. For more information or to register for a donation time, contact the Cayuga County Chapter of the American Red Cross at 252 #- 9596 or chapter@ccredcross.org.
You can give blood if you are age 17 or older, weigh at least 110 pounds, are in good general health and have not given in the last 56 days. It only takes one hour to save a life.
Susan Marteney is executive
director of the Cayuga County Chapter of the American Red Cross
Why donate blood? Nationally only 4 percent of people who can give blood do, but here in Cayuga County, 8.2 percent give. That is why we are a Community That Cares. We also know that 1-out-of-3 of us will need blood at some point in our lives. Blood cannot be manufactured - it must come from a caring individual willing to take one hour out of a busy schedule to give The Gift of Life.
The flooding in the southern tier continues to impact blood collection. As families recover from the devastation, donating blood is low on their list of priority activities; yet, they might need blood due to accidents or illness. The Red Cross has lost several days supply of blood due to storms across our region and is calling for donors in all areas to give blood and strengthen blood supplies. Blood drives were canceled as both donors and phlebotomists could not get to the drive sites. The Red Cross is urging eligible donors to give blood to recover and increase the blood supply. The Red Cross can only meet the community need for blood during this vital period with the continued generosity of the region's blood donors. All blood types are needed, particularly type O Negative.
The summer is a very trying time for the blood banking industry. School breaks, vacations and the weather all have an impact on our ability to collect enough blood to meet demand. We all know that our lovely Owasco Lake can entice us away from summer commitments as the cool breezes blow.
Who uses blood? Individuals undergoing surgery regularly need blood. Young children with a life threatening disease need blood. Victims of boating and car accidents need blood. Cancer patients need blood. Blood product transfusions are often needed to replace important components of blood when there are not enough in the body, either because they are not being made or because they have been lost.
People with cancer can need blood because of the cancer itself. Some cancers cause internal bleeding which leads to anemia. Others cancers start in the bone marrow or spread from other places crowding out the normal blood making cells leading to low blood counts. People who have had cancer for some time may develop what is known as “anemia of chronic disease.” Cancer lowers blood counts indirectly by affecting other organs which maintain blood levels such as the kidneys and spleen.
Cancer treatments may also lead to the need for blood. Surgery to treat cancer is often a major operation and there may be significant blood loss. Most chemotherapy drugs affect cells in the bone marrow leading to low levels of white blood cells which put a person at risk of life-threatening infections or bleeding. Radiation used to treat a large area of bone can affect bone marrow and lead to reduced blood cell counts.
Here is a message from the mother of a 5-year-old boy telling the story of his need for blood:
“Robert's hemoglobin had dropped to 2.8 #- normal for his age is between 11.5 and 13.5. At the emergency room, he was diagnosed with Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia - a rare blood condition where the red blood cells are produced healthy but are later destroyed by getting trapped in the spleen due to infection.
“Because of his low hemoglobin count, the hematologist informed us that the last resort was a blood transfusion. If the cells from the transfusion were destroyed, the doctor prepared us for the fact that nothing else could be done to save Robert's life.
“Robert is alive today. I will be forever grateful to the hero who donated blood which has saved my only child's life. Please donate blood - you never know whose hero you might be.”
-Written by Robert's mother who is a regular blood donor.
Think about giving blood at The Community That Cares Blood Drive or at one of the 12 drives in September at spots all over the county. For more information or to register for a donation time, contact the Cayuga County Chapter of the American Red Cross at 252 #- 9596 or chapter@ccredcross.org.
You can give blood if you are age 17 or older, weigh at least 110 pounds, are in good general health and have not given in the last 56 days. It only takes one hour to save a life.
Susan Marteney is executive
director of the Cayuga County Chapter of the American Red Cross
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