Positive, negative, universal donor type. The Blood Bank of Delmarva, the only blood bank that serves Delaware and parts of Maryland and Virginia needs you.
Summer, for various reasons presents a greater demand for blood donations nationwide. And with the influx of tourists and part time residents in our area, that demand becomes even greater than in other months of the year.
It is estimated by the American Red Cross that eight out of every ten of us at some point in our lives will be in need of a blood donation. Trauma, surgery and medical complications all scream for community help: blood donation.
Angela Williamson, Community, Volunteer and Philanthropy coordinator for the Blood Bank of Delmarva encourages all of us to show our support for others in need of blood for myriad reasons.
“For example,” she explains, “a traumatic event just last weekend depleted our supply overnight of the amount of blood necessary to save lives.” The Blood Bank of Delmarva supplies whole blood and platelet donations to area hospitals and surgical centers, and the need persists.
Like your checking account, to insert an analogy here, available amounts of donated blood in their bank fluctuate regularly. It only takes one big expense, or in real-life terms, one traumatic accident to alter the crucial and everlasting need for blood.
Not only does the blood bank need donors of all types of blood, but they need volunteers who make the area’s blood drives run smoothly. Volunteering for the Blood Bank of Delmarva helps to ensure community and organizational blood drives run smoothly.
After some training, volunteers are present to help with everything from monitoring donors’ well-being to making sure the blood bank’s staff have adequate supplies and supplemental help. A brief online application, available at this link on its website guides volunteers through the process of helping in whatever capacity is needed.
If you have ever had a family member who has needed blood following an injury or life-threatening illness, you quickly understand how important blood drives become to you personally. Williamson explains, for example that more than a quarter of their blood donations go to cancer patients enduring treatment.
Platelets, a component of red blood cells necessary to treat many medical complications are also in need. This kind of blood donation takes more time than just stopping by a local community center, Williamson explains. “Bring a book or good music,” she says seriously since it takes about two hours to complete that process, and can only be done at one of Delmarva’s area donor centers located in Millsboro, Dover, Christiana or Salisbury, Maryland.
Platelets are only “good” for five to seven days, so it is important to emphasize how important these special, dedicated donors are to the blood bank and patients in need.
Meanwhile, if you would like to volunteer for this most crucial lifesaving crusade that never has an end, check out Blood Bank of Delmarva’s website for more information and blood drives near you.
Many people who are concerned about their eligibility for donating blood may be surprised about some assumptive reasons they cannot give – such as medications, weight and other health factors. An onsite interview process prior to any blood donation ensures the safety of your donation, and all blood is tested for any eliminating factors before the blood bank makes it available to area hospitals.
If you aren’t eligible to donate blood, you can still make a difference in the Blood Bank of Delmarva’s mission by volunteering your time and caregiving skills.
For more information on volunteering, contact Angela Williamson, (302) 737-8405 ext. 819. For more information on scheduling a blood drive within your own neighborhood or organization, contact Ralph Groves, (302) 383-9982.
By Bridget Fitzpatrick, The Delaware Retiree Connection Resident Journalist
