January 10, 2001

Donor: 'It is a gift of love'

January National Volunteer Blood Donor month

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
       Born prematurely seven weeks early, at three pounds Andrew struggled to survive.
      His parents, Sheila and Jerry, who do not wish to use their last name, prayed for their son, who immediately after being born was transported to DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids.
      Andrew required immediate surgery to repair hernias and intensive care just to survive. He also had a serious heart condition, which could not be addressed until he was older and stronger. He began showing signs of heart failure six months later, around the time the surgery was scheduled. He weighed just 6.5 pounds.
      During the months of waiting, Andrew's family learned he would need blood for this life-saving operation. They turned to the Northwest Michigan Blood Center for help.
      "They were willing to help and told me I could choose donors so I opened up my address book," recalled Sheila, who called everyone she knew, asking them their blood type. "I would say, 'Hi, I am really busy and can't talk right now, but do you have B+ blood?"
      Both Andrew and Sheila have B+ blood, a rare type that occurs in just nine percent of the population. Sheila was willing to donate but the estimated four pints needed had to be taken in too short a time for her to donate it all. So the family announced the need in both their church and her mother's church.
      "At each church, one man stood up and said they could help," Sheila recalled. "And my neighbor is B+ and scared to death of needles, but he did it. He donated just that one time. It was just amazing, these men had to be on standby, ready to donate just before the surgery."
      Though it was a tricky operation with a grim prognosis, Andrew pulled through. Looking at her healthy five-and-a-half year old son today, Sheila is a dedicated donor, going in every two months to give blood. While she gave blood before Andrew was born, she is now very motivated to give the gift of life to others, just as those three men gave the gift to her son.
      "For me it is a gift of love for people I didn't know," she said. "It is like a favor returned every time I donate."
      While donations from friends or relatives are not uncommon, anonymous donations form the backbone of blood banks. People who donate blood have no idea where there blood or component blood products will wind up - only that it will help up to four people in need.
      January is National Volunteer Blood Donor month and staff at the Northwest Michigan Blood Program want to continue spreading the word on the ease and importance of donating blood. From premature babies like Andrew to cancer patients to heart surgery, blood products save lives.
      The Northwest Michigan Blood Program serves six counties around the Grand Traverse region. This region uses 10,000 units of blood a year to support area needs and the goal is to support this need with local donations. The program can conduct up to four blood drives per day, not counting people who come to donate at their Traverse City office.
      "We're a unique part of medicine in that we see only well people," said Sharon Childs, director of donor services for the Northwest Michigan Blood Program. "Our goal as a community blood program is to go to the people. Ideally, we want to keep our inventories up at safe levels on a daily basis."
      Childs believes educating the community about blood donations and blood banks is crucial to increasing the five percent donation rate among eligible donors in the United States. She and her staff work to dispel myths about pain, potential infection or harm from donating blood and emphasizes the safety of testing, storing, donating and using blood.
      "Most people have post-World War II ideas about blood donation and blood banks," said Childs, a registered nurse who has worked in the field for 31 years.
      The minimum age for donating blood is 17 and Childs relishes it when teens donate blood, sponsor blood drives or hold pop can drives to pay for marrow registrations. In addition, every year she is pleased to hand out 35 or 40 awards to student donors.
      One young donor, Justin Priest, 17, of Maple City, gave blood for the third time in his life Friday morning. A student at the Career Tech Center, he came with a classmate who also donated blood.
      "Maybe someday I'll need blood and then it'll be there," Priest said.