The Red Cross will have three blood drives next week

Meat lovers, begin eating a lot of red meat. Vegans and vegetarians, fill plates with dark green vegetables. Lambda Chi Alpha will sponsor next week's blood drive in Oct. 29-31 in Tower's lobby.

American Red Cross's Donor Recruitment Representative Michelle Johnson will be at Southeast Missouri State University this week and next week recruiting students, faculty and staff to give blood during next week's blood drive.

A blood drive means so much more to her, Johnson said. A donor herself, she never realized the importance of donating blood until her nephew gave her the push to become a recruitment officer of the American Red Cross.

"My nephew was three years old and had a brain tumor," Johnson said. "He needed blood transfusions to keep getting his treatments. While I couldn't help him, I knew I could be doing a lot more to help others in cases like his. Now I can't think of anything more rewarding."

Johnson said many people do not realize the importance of donating blood. One in six hospital patients need blood transfusions. These patients include accident victims, Leukemia and cancer patients, patients with sickle cell and surgery patients.

"There is always a need for blood," Johnson said. "The American Red Cross keeps a three-day supply on hand at all times. But if a major accident happens, that gets depleted quickly."

Collected blood is then tested in St. Louis and transported back to the collection area. This process takes three days, making the need for extra blood on hand even greater.

The American Red Cross was in National Appeal, a major shortage of blood, from June through August this year, which made their supplies even more limited. At any given time, 38 percent of the population is able to give blood. However, only five percent of those actually donate, and on an average of 1.5 times per year. Donors can donate every 56 days, for a maximum of six times per year.

"We used to get a lot of our blood supply from retired veterans," Johnson said. "Now they are starting to age and need medications and blood thinners that prevent them from donating blood."

Because those retired veterans are now losing the ability to donate their blood, the need falls on the rest of the population to lessen the shortage. Many people do not give blood because they are uneducated about the process of donating and the effects that it can have on others' lives.

"Right now we get 20 percent of our blood supply from high school and college kids," Johnson said. "We try to recruit them because they are healthier, and we try to continue educating younger people to get into the habit of donating blood often."

One program the American Red Cross is sponsoring right now is called Pint Sized Hero. Recruitment representatives travel to educate grade school students about the benefits of giving blood. Then they will host a blood drive at the school and the grade school students will recruit their parents to give blood. This helps build their donor base around the U.S.

A diverse ethnic group is also needed to donate blood. Some ethnicities are more likely to have certain blood types. Therefore, it is important that they donate so that those ethnic groups will have the blood supply they need.

"Many people don't realize that the blood they donate usually goes to support all local area hospitals," Johnson said. "More rare blood types tend to travel more, but the majority of the blood collected in an area will go back to those hospitals. And we are always looking for O-negative blood because it is universal."

The blood drive will be hosted from noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 29, and Oct. 31 in Tower's lobby. Another one will be held from 11:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Oct. 30. Donors are required to have their identification to register. Everyone receives information to read to follow guidelines for the Center for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration. This particular blood drive they also get a scratch off card with a code redeemable online for free music and phone skins, among other items.

Donors answer a questionnaire of their health histories and have their iron checked. Iron must be at a level of 12.5 or higher in order to donate. Donors are then brought to the donation beds, have their blood drawn and sit with snacks to bring their blood sugar back up after they have donated.

One notable guideline has changed in regards to donating blood. Previously, it stated a waiting time if donors had been tattooed. Now, as long as the tattoo was done at a licensed tattoo parlor, there is no longer a waiting period to donate again.

While walk-ins are available for the blood drive, those who plan to donate are encouraged to call 1-800-RED-CROSS or go online to redcrossblood.org to make an appointment.

"Making appointments helps us plan on bringing enough staff, products to collect the blood and snacks for all donors," Johnson said. "Not to mention we give priority to those who have made an appointment, which can cut down on the anxious waiting time."

Southeast students, faculty and staff as well as community members of Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area are encouraged to come to the three-day blood drive.

"Our goal is to gather 150 units of blood in this three-day blood drive," Johnson said. "That is just the goals for the area hospitals. We need much more than that. We can't just raise funds to make the need go away. There is no substitute for blood."