LifeShare Blood Drive Collects 57 Units
Linna Jones
Editor-in-Chief
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| Courtesy of Janelle Martin |
| Donating Blood - LifeShare Representative Carolyn Winn draws blood from donor Kerrick Scofield, a first-year Physical Education major. LifeShare held a blood drive Feb. 16. |
MONTICELLO - The LifeShare Blood Drive collected a total of 57 units of whole blood, automated red cell collection and plasma in the John F. Gibson University Center Green Room Feb. 16
Students who gave blood received a T-shirt with the theme of “ Blood … You’re Full of it. Blood Donor” and a chance for three students to win a $25 declining balance added to their cards. Monica Turchi, Deonna White and Jasmine Bolen won the declining balances.
The UAM Knights and Lady Knights won the $100 gift card in donor competition among student organizations. Other organizations who donated included the Biology Club, members of the Golf team, women’s basketball, Phi Lambda Chi, Alpha Sigma Tau, Alpha Phi Alpha and some of the intramurals groups.
LifeShare, UAM Knights and Lady Knights, University Center staff, Student Activities Board, UAM Blossoms Volleyball team and UAM Student Services made up the members of the Blood Drive Team.
The process of giving blood starts with donors, but one unit of blood helps those who need more than just red blood cells.
Sophomore Michele Knott decided to donate blood for the first time after receiving the e-mail. She received support from Jamie Ward and her roommate, senior Harmony Black, who stood by her as she donated. Knott said she had a nice nurse.
Carolyn Winn, LifeShare Representative, said first-timers were more nervous about the needle than giving blood.
“She did a really good job for her first time,” Winn said. “First-timers get themselves wound up, but we got her calmed down.”
Knott donated whole blood.
Whole blood goes through a process and becomes separated into three parts; red blood cells, plasma and platelets. Red bloods cells have a shelf life of 42 days. Platelets have a shelf life of five days and plasmas can last up to year.
Each unit of whole blood takes 72 hours to process and must pass 11 tests. The tests check the donations for blood type, but also for diseases such as hepatitis, HIV, syphilis, adult leukemia virus and unexpected antibodies.
LifeShare’s requirements for donating whole blood include:
- Must be at least 17 years old
- Weigh at least 110 pounds
- Be in good health
- It is recommended to eat a well-balanced meal
- Donors may donate a unit of whole blood every 56 days
Adam Murkowski, a Forest Resources graduate student, donated by automated red cell collection. Murkowski donated both blood and plasma in the past with at least 50 donations of plasma.
Automated red cell collection, also called “double red,” uses a machine call the ALYX. ALYX takes blood, separates the plasma from the red blood cells and returns plasma and saline back to the donor. The machine collects double the red blood cells than a whole blood donation. The process takes about 45 minutes.
“By the ALYX machine collecting more red blood cells, it saves more lives,” Rayshawn Webster, a donor technician, said.
The double red cells collected help patients suffering from many conditions such as cancer, trauma with bleeding, severe anemia, and some surgeries accompanied by blood loss.
The minimum requirements for double red donation include:
- Blood Type: O+, O-, B+, B-, or A-
- Age: 17 yrs or older (Note: After your 76th birthday, an annual letter from your physician is required.)
- eight: male: minimum 130 lbs, Height: 5 feet, 1 inches / female: minimum 150 lbs, Height: 5 feet, 5 inches
- Iron Level: Must be 40 percent
- A person can donate on ALYX every 112 days or 16 weeks
Plasma donation allows donors to give just the plasma part of their blood. A plasma donation takes about 35 to 45 minutes.
The procedure separates the plasma from the red blood cells and returns the red blood cells to the donor. Plasma contains antibodies, which provides immunity and bacteria, but also provides factors needed for blood clotting.
Plasma helps patients with clotting disorders, including those with liver disease, hemophilia and other clotting factor deficiencies.
LifeShare’s requirements for plasma donation include:
- Good health and 17 years or older
- Weight: minimum of 110 lbs
- Red Blood Cell Hematocrit: must be at least 38
- A person can donate plasma as often and every 28 days
LifeShare Blood Centers only collects blood for hospitals. The LifeShare Blood Centers of Monroe covers 17 parishes and counties in Arkansas and Louisiana. They provide the blood used at Drew Memorial Hospital as their sole provider since 2004.
LifeShare holds blood drives at highs schools, colleges and some business, like Wal-Mart.
Phillip Thomas, recruiting coordinator for LifeShare Blood Centers at Monroe, La., said student organization participation was the key to their success with their college drives.
“We need groups doing a lot more,” Thomas said. “The more different groups we have involved, the more successful the blood drive will be.”
Thomas said he donated for his 155 time Feb. 16 and he donates platelets every two weeks.
He said donations help maintain the blood supply. A person may expect it on the shelf, but the only way to get it there is by blood donation.
Janice Washington, supervisor of the drive and in donation collection, said they at least collected 57 units, so it was a good day.
“It was kind of slow today, we were hoping to get 70, we only got 57,” she said.
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