Saving the Lives of our Heroes

This Memorial Day Weekend is filled with picnics, summer kick-off trips, fun times and friends. Do you stop to remember and thank the heroes that fight for our freedom everyday? Did you know that just like civilians, they are in need of blood donors?

The Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP) plays a key role in providing quality blood products for Service members and their families in both peace and war. As a joint operation among the military services (Army, Navy, Air Force), the ASBP has many components working together to collect, process, store, distribute, and transfuse blood worldwide.

The ASBP was established 50 years ago and continues to work each day for our military and their families. Blood and blood products are used for patients of all ages for many reasons—from cancer patients to those with battlefield injuries, military members and their families depend on blood donors every day.

Your donation can save:
~ a service member injured in action
~ a child with cancer
~ a family member in need of heart surgery

It’s easy to save lives! By committing to give blood at least once a season, you help ensure that blood is available when it is needed most by those who protect our country.

If you want to donate this holiday weekend for a service member, please visit: http://www.militaryblood.dod.mil to learn more.

St. Jude's Blood Bank Doubles in Size

What an amazing achievement for such a prestigious research hospital! We all know the reputation and monumental work that St. Jude's does for thousands of children each year. Now, through the assistance of the Chili's Restaurant Cares program, the hospital has not only enlarged the overall campus, but they have been able to DOUBLE the size of the blood bank.

This is an extraordinary task because nearly all of the patients that are treated at St. Jude's will require a blood transfusion at some point in their treatment. The blood donor center expansion is part of a $16.8 million renovation project that will include 95,000 square feet when complete.

When the seven-story, $116 million Chili's Care Center opened in 2007, many hospital departments left their original locations. This left many clinics and departments with room to grow into the newly available space.

The blood donor center, for example, grew from 900 square feet to 1,800 square feet into space that once housed St. Jude's eye clinic. The move has allowed for seven dedicated blood donation stations (up from five), two patient procedure rooms, new office space and a waiting room.

The center collects mostly platelets that are given directly to St. Jude patients. It tests and stores its own blood and blood products on site and they are not available to patients anywhere but St. Jude. The center does NOT rely on any outside source for blood products. Last year the center drew about 10-15 donors per day and ultimately donors gave a total of roughly 2,000 units of blood. (Blood units differ in size depending on the size of the donor.) The expansion will allow even more donors/units and will provide greater peace of mind to parents knowing that their child will continue receiving the best care possible.

Next time you are in Chili's having lunch or dinner, please take the time to color one of the famous "Peppers" - your donation gives back to St. Jude's Hospital and to the Blood Donor Center.

Memorial Day Is Just Around the Corner

The first of many summer efforts are underway in the Mid-Atlantic Blood Services Region (MAR). As stated before, summer donations always decline so in an effort to remind people that the need never takes a vacation, the MAR is trying a different tactic to entice donors.

I recently recorded a 40-second audio commercial that is being distributed across the MAR. Thousands upon thousands of people will be receiving this message via telephone and also available when they contact the MAR directly. (The map below shows the distribution area)

Your vacations may begin with memorial day and go throughout the summer, but the decrease in supply of blood will severely impact all localities - including those you vacation in. Perhaps that's something to think of, as you travel I truly hope that you do not have an emergency. However, we know, emergencies are just that - unexpected. Do you want to be concerned if a hospital doesn't have an adequate blood supply for your immediate needs? I know I don't want to think about that.

Start your summer off right and donate blood today, you never know who's life you may save - including your own.

Help Save Summer!

Summer? Why it's only half-way through May and I'm already thinking about summer? Yes, I am thinking about summer. During this time of year, when colleges are empty, high schools are desolate and the beaches are full, blood drives nearly dry up for a few months.

Having the ability of donating blood every 56 days, means that at least once during the summer months, you could take an hour of time to donate blood - or perhaps organize a summer bash to bring in your friends to help save more lives.

Do you know someone that has cancer? More than likely during the course of their treatment, they will require transfusions. Wouldn't it be nice to hold a blood drive in their honor and save many lives in the process?

This summer, try something different and organize or support your local blood drive, you never know who's life you might save. You can find your local American Red Cross by visiting www.redcrossblood.org to learn more.

World Red Cross/Red Crescent Day

Violence, poverty, food shortages, insufficient health care, inadequate access to water and sanitation and escalating human vulnerability are among the many challenges facing people in cities and other densely populated areas around the globe. Yet the urban way of life also presents enormous opportunities and can serve as an engine of social inclusion, cultural expression, diversity and economic growth.

For the first time, more than 50% of the world’s population is living in urban areas, a figure that is forecast to rise to more than 60% in 2030. Cities in the developing world are expected to account for 95% of urban growth over the next two decades.

The Red Cross and Red Crescent is marking 8 May, World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, by focusing attention on both the challenges and opportunities presented by urbanization.

"The recent devastation in Haiti reminds us of the impact disasters can have on densely populated urban areas, " said Tadateru Konoé, the president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). "And our commitment is to work with the communities, local government and other local partners to improve health care and water and sanitation services, to make effective early warning and early action systems and to deliver earthquake-resistant shelters that will help save lives in future disasters."

"Many cities are directly affected by armed conflicts and other situations of violence," said Jakob Kellenberger, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "Think of Mogadishu, Baghdad or Kabul – but also Rio de Janeiro or Nairobi – as examples of situations that cause severe human suffering. Even in some cities not experiencing war, violence has reached unprecedented proportions. I would not be surprised if our humanitarian work will in future increasingly happen in cities affected by various types of violence other than armed conflict."

Around the world, National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are working with city leaders and civil society to address urban challenges by aiming at their root causes. They focus on promoting diversity, opposing discrimination, and joining in efforts to provide decent social services and to ensure that adequate protection, preventive health-care, education and disaster risk reduction measures are taken. Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers are at the heart of the Movement's endeavours to strengthen urban communities.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is reiterating its global call to action launched on 8 May 2009: Our world. Your move. This effort reminds all of us that we have a role to play to make the world around us better. Each and every one of us can make a difference by engaging in positive action in our communities.

(The above is the official press release from www.ifrc.org - and you can learn more about this world day, you can visit www.ourworld-yourmove.org)