Blood on Halloween, PERFECT!

Halloween is certainly time to think about blood, ghouls and ghosts! Well today was a great day for a blood drive at the Centreville Baptist Church in Centreville, Virginia.

As always, the Mid-Atlantic Blood Services Region (Red Cross) brought on the crew and were set up for a large scale donation, including a Double-Red (Aphersis). Double red cells are donated through a special process called apheresis. Apheresis allows donors to safely donate certain components of their blood in larger amounts. During an apheresis donation, blood is drawn into a machine which separates the red cells from the rest of the blood. The red cells are collected in a donation bag, while the rest of the blood is returned to the donor. The best blood types for this type of donation are: O+, O-, B-, A-.

The flow of donors was a little light in the morning but the traffic picked up as the day went along - between fall festivities and an area hit hard by the flu, numbers are lower than usual, but people are still showing up.

I encourage everyone to donate today, with low numbers, all types are in high demand. Have a Happy Halloween!

Flying to be with Him

It is with a heavy heart, that I blog today. Yesterday, I learned that my Uncle Ralph & Aunt Jodie were killed in a single aircraft crash on Sunday.

Sad, yes, it has been difficult to fathom, however, I must look back to the memories shared and the smiles they brought wherever they went.

Uncle Ralph was an accomplished pilot, flew many years for Eastern Airlines while living in VA. When he retired, he and Jodie decided to move to Aguilla, AZ, where they could easily keep an airplane (or two) in a hangar just outside their front door. Ralph a pilot, and my father, an air traffic controller, made for many stories and many laughs - things most passengers probably never want to know :o)

From tucking me at night, dancing to music, celebrating weddings/births, or even pretending to be santa, many of my childhood memories through today include this wonderful couple. Aunt Jodie even joined me on a trip to see Miss America in 2006 - what a trip that was and surely, now, a wonderful memory.

Services will be held in AZ on Sunday and I just ask that we keep the immediate family in our prayers - this close knit family will certainly miss the foundation it was built on.

(News Story Regarding the Accident)
http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/Plane-crashes-near-Crown-King-63561457.html

Breast Cancer Awareness

October brings with it an aray of beautiful autumnal colors, cool mornings and warm afternoons. It also brings us to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While this blog is dedicated to the need for blood donors, we shall not forget the millions of women (and even some men) that have fought, are fighting or will fight for their lives with breast cancer.

As with any surgery/treatments, including those associated with breast cancer, the need for blood is always apparent. Donate for those women struggling to survive - your gift of life through a donation, could just be the answer they are searching for. Is it the cure? No, but it is an opportunity for that patient to see tomorrow - when there might be a cure.

Donate blood because we need it - Donate blood because you want to - Donate because you can.