Go Red Richmond!

It's still Heart Health Month and I was able to participate, for the second year, in the Go Red for Women's Silent Auction and Luncheon held in Richmond, VA at the historic Jefferson Hotel.

This year, I had the pleasure of sharing the appearance with Miss West Virginia International, Liz Barker. It was a great afternoon and we were able to help a lot of ladies (and a few men) make a promise to be heart healthy.

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Trading Dinner for Lunch

Today was a day a few months in the making. Back in October, when I was crowned Mrs. Virginia International 2011, part of the competition was an on-stage question. Well, I drew the elusive "If you could have dinner with anyone, who would you choose and why?". I immediately answered that I would love to have dinner with Lauren Larsen and hear her LIVING testimony and need for blood donors during child birth. Needing over 200 units to live, Lauren has an amazing story.

Never in my wildest dreams did I actually think that I might get to share a meal with Lauren. But thanks to twitter, avid blogging and a lot of prayer, I was able to connect with her team at America's Blood Centers where she is the President and Chief Ambassador for The Foundation for America's Blood Centers.

Lauren has documented her story in the book "ZuZu's Petals", of which she gave me an autographed copy and I have already started to read. It's a touching and life changing story of her journey through pregnancy, birth, and the passion to draw attention to the need for blood donors.

I am happy to say that we will be working together in the coming months on a few projects and having the Foundation's support in my advocacy efforts will certainly allow me to connect with more donors (and others involved in the process!) than ever before!

Thank you to Lauren, Mack and Matt for a productive, fun, and wish-come-true lunch!

Brightest blessings,

Rebecca

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What happens before a transfusion?

Many people have asked me what happens to the blood after it's donated and I even did a blog posting in 2009 called "Follow That Donation" http://hip2give.blogspot.com/2009/08/follow-that-donation.html which is always interesting to see the path a donation takes.

So we know what happens with donated blood, but what happens prior to the actual transfusion? It's really a screening process to match the blood types.

The terms type and screen are used for the testing that (1) determines the blood group (ABO compatibility) and (2) screens for alloantibodies.[20] It takes about 45 minutes to complete (depending on the method used). The blood bank technologist also checks for special requirements of the patient (e.g. need for washed, irradiated or CMV negative blood) and the history of the patient to see if they have a previously identified antibody.

A positive screen warrants an antibody panel/investigation. An antibody panel consists of commercially prepared group O red cell suspensions from donors that have been phenotyped for commonly encountered and clinically significant alloantibodies. Donor cells may have homozygous (e.g. K+k-), heterozygous (K+k+) expression or no expression of various antigens (K-k+). The phenotypes of all the donor cells being tested are shown in a chart. The patient's serum is tested against the various donor cells using an enhancement method, e.g. Gel or LISS. Based on the reactions of the patient's serum against the donor cells, a pattern will emerge to confirm the presence of one or more antibodies. Not all antibodies are clinically significant (i.e. cause transfusion reactions, HDN, etc.). Once the patient has developed a clinically significant antibody it is vital that the patient receive antigen negative phenotyped red blood cells to prevent future transfusion reactions. A direct antiglobulin test (DAT) is also performed as part of the antibody investigation.[21]

Once the type and screen has been completed, potential donor units will be selected based on compatibility with the patient's blood group, special requirements (e.g. CMV negative, irradiated or washed) and antigen negative (in the case of an antibody). If there is no antibody present or suspected, the immediate spin or CAC (computer assisted crossmatch) method may be used.

In the immediate spin method, two drops of patient serum are tested against a drop of 3-5% suspension of donor cells in a test tube and spun in a serofuge. Agglutination or hemolysis in the test tube is a positive reaction and the unit should not be transfused.

If an antibody is suspected, potential donor units must first be screened for the corresponding antigen by phenotyping them. Antigen negative units are then tested against the patient plasma using an antiglobulin/indirect crossmatch technique at 37 degrees Celsius to enhance reactivity and make the test easier to read.

If there is no time the blood is called "uncross-matched blood". Uncross-matched blood is O-positive or O-negative. O-negative is usually used for children and women of childbearing age. It is preferable for the laboratory to obtain a pre-transfusion sample in these cases so a type and screen can be performed to determine the actual blood group of the patient and to check for alloantibodies.

The process to match blood is lengthy but life saving when done right. In the event of emergencies, then hospitals will use O-positive or O-negative. But as always the rarest form of blood is the one NOT on the shelf.

During the past two months our nation has seen an extraordinary amount of inclement weather and recent reports are showing more than 10,000 blood drives have been canceled so supplies are critically low. Between the time it takes to process the blood and the critically low numbers, our nation is in dire need. Please take the time to donate, the need is constant.

(Information provided above from several resources including A.B.C. Facts and Red Cross Facts)

Love Your Heart!

What a fabulous day! Of course yesterday was National Wear Red Day but today I was able to join my sister queen at the Short Pump Mall Macy's and spend most of the afternoon/evening helping women (and yes, even some men) take the first step to being heart healthy!

The team from Bon Securs Hospitals was on hand to give health screenings which included blood pressure checks, BMI calculations and briefings on how to stay heart healthy. It was a steady stream the entire afternoon and certainly made my 2 hour drive worth every minute.

Several fantastic things happened while at the health screenings. First I was able to "Hug A Soldier"! Deshauna, Miss VA International, has a personal platform of H.A.T.S. off to our Troops and is celebrating this month by hugging soldiers. I was so glad that I was able to hug a soldier that is actually in Deshauna's ROTC battalion. Secondly, and this is a cute story, one of the hospital volunteers overheard me discussing my platform and said "Oh My Gosh, my girlfriend just donated and you called her after her appointment!!"

Laughing I knew that she was referring to the pre-recorded message that I did for Virginia Blood Services in December. The recording goes out to all donors within 24 hours of giving the gift of life. I was tickled to hear the joy that Kelly, the blood donor, had receiving a "call" from me. It was neat to actually hear from someone that received the appreciation call. So, I sent her an autograph card and took a photo with her friend the volunteer just to say thank you again.

It was a full day that started around noon for me and while I finally got home around 9, I can't say that I was tired, but just feel incredibly blessed to help other women take control of their own heart health.

Black History Month: Honoring the Blood Bank Pioneer

During a seemingly innocent trivia game with INCEPT, I had to look up some information on Dr. Charles Drew. Not only did I find his involvement with blood bank development intriguing, but it is a testament to my personal sense of perseverance.

It's impossible to determine how many hundreds of thousands of people would have lost their lives without the contributions of African-American inventor Dr. Charles Drew. This physician, researcher and surgeon revolutionized the understanding of blood plasma – leading to the invention of blood banks.

Born in 1904 in Washington, D.C., Charles Drew excelled from early on in both intellectual and athletic pursuits. After becoming a doctor and working as a college instructor, Drew went to Columbia University to do his Ph.D. on blood storage. He completed a thesis titled Banked Blood that invented a method of separating and storing plasma, allowing it to be dehydrated for later use. It was the first time Columbia awarded a doctorate to an African-American

At the onset of World War II, Drew was called upon to put his techniques into practice. He emerged as the leading authority on mass transfusion and processing methods, and went on to helm the American Red Cross blood bank. When the Armed Forces ordered that only Caucasian blood be given to soldiers, Drew protested and resigned.

After his resignation, he returned to Howard University to teach. After Dr. Drew's return to Howard, he was appointed to several scientific committees and received honorary degrees from Virginia State and Amherst Colleges in 1945 and 1947. He was one of the first of his race to be selected for membership on the American Board of Surgery. He also received the Spingarn Medal of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1944 for his outstanding contribution to human welfare.

Dr. Drew died in 1950 in a car accident with two students. His work lives on today in blood banks across the world. Through determination and conviction, he proved that saving lives knew no color and that all people deserved the same opportunities.

(Factual information found through ARC Museum and Historical Black Inventors Guide)

Time to Have a Heart

February is upon us which means it's Heart Month and we are about to celebrate National Wear Red Day with Go Red for Women.

Heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of women, taking the life of 1 in 3 women each year. This means women just like you - mothers, sisters, friends - are dying at the rate of one per minute because they don't know what you know: heart disease kills.

In 2004, the American Heart Association (AHA) faced a challenge. Cardiovascular disease claimed the lives of nearly 500,000 American women each year, yet women were not paying attention. In fact, many even dismissed it as an “older man’s disease.” To dispel the myths and raise awareness of heart disease as the number one killer of women, the American Heart Association created Go Red For Women – a passionate, emotional, social initiative designed to empower women to take charge of their heart health.

Friday, February 4, 2011, is National Wear Red Day. To find out how you can help spread the message about cardiovascular disease, please visit www.goredforwomen.org and celebrate this day by wearing red at work, at the mall, out with friends, and everywhere you go. Share the message with 5 friends and help save their life.