January 2014 • Section A
Celebrate National Blood Donor Month, Give Life By Jessica Bayramian Byerly
IN THIS ISSUE
“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
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BOZEMAN PUBLIC LIBRARY
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MENTAL HEALTH MONTHLY
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F11
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VERGE THEATRE
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~Kahlil Gibran The standard whole blood donation – a mere pint – has the potential to save three lives. With someone needing blood approximately every two seconds in this country, an excess of 41,000 blood donations are needed every single day. National Blood Donor Month honors the 9.2 million donors in the United States that have taken the time to save a life and the 3.3 million of which that did so this year alone. But, it’s also about educating the public and encouraging new donors and volunteers to get involved. Considering red blood cells’ shelf life is only 42 days, blood is continually depleted and must be replaced. Unfortunately, as busy schedules
and hazardous weather conditions prevail during the winter months, donations wane while the need remains constant. The process for giving blood is simple, with the actual donation lasting less than 15 minutes and the entire process about an hour. First, donors must meet minimum age, weight and health requirements and present photo identification or a donor card. After registering, each donor supplies a brief medical history, is given a mini-physical, provides the donation and is offered refreshments. A donor is capable of giving whole blood about every two months. “This year, you can make a difference,” says Thomas Hensley, Donor Recruitment Representative in the Bozeman office. “All it takes is your willingness to help someone in need and a unit of your blood.” And even people who are unable to donate can make that difference by
volunteering or organizing a blood drive. With a mission “to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors,” the American Red Cross (ARC) is part of the largest volunteer network in the world, a worldwide organization that can be found in 187 countries. Clara Barton and a group of equally concerned cohorts founded the ARC in 1881. During the following 23 years, Barton led the ARC in its first disaster relief efforts and military aid provision. In 1940, Dr. Charles Drew initiated the ARC blood program, which now supplies approximately 40% of the United States’ blood supply, supporting patients in 2,700 hospitals across the country. Currently, over 130 years after its inception, the ARC assists during national disasters; supports members of the military and their families; collects, processes and distributes blood; offers health and safety education and training; and provides international relief and development. On a local level, the ARC provides services to more than 30 hospitals in all 56 counties and seven reservations throughout Montana, operating administrative offices in Great Falls, Bozeman Kalispell, Helena and Missoula. A charitable organization, not a government agency, the ARC relies on generous volunteer and donor support in order to fulfill its mission to serve Montana residents, the American people and the international community at large. For more information about National Blood Donor Month or to get involved, call 1-800-REDCROSS or visit www.redcross.org.
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According to www.redcross.org: • A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood. • The number of blood donations collected in the U.S. in a year: 15.7 million • Although an estimated 38% of the U.S. population is eligible to donate, less than 10% actually do each year. • Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets. The body will replenish the elements given during a blood donation – some in a matter of hours and others in a matter of weeks. • If you began donating blood at age 17 and donated every 56 days until you reached 76, you would have donated 48 gallons of blood, potentially helping save more than 1,000 lives! • Type O-negative blood is needed in emergencies before the patient’s blood type is known and with newborns that need blood. • Forty-five percent of people in the U.S. have Type O (positive or negative) blood. • Only three percent of people in the U.S. have AB-positive blood type. AB-positive type blood donors are universal donors of plasma, which is often used in emergencies, for newborns and for patients requiring massive transfusions. Source: www.redcross.org
EARTH’S TREASURES
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HARLEY’S CORNER
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SASHIMI BAR OPENS AT THE MONTANA FISH COMPANY