There Ought To Be Blood

It only takes an hour. And you only have to do it three times a year.
But it can make a big difference.
Donating blood is one of the simplest and most vital volunteer efforts you can put forth.
The problem is… not many people do it.
Blood centers across the country have been reporting shortages for years now. At certain times, our country’s supply of donated blood has dropped to 2 or 3 days. That means if nobody donated blood for 72 hours, our nation would run out of that precious commodity.
Donated blood is used in surgeries when people lose blood during an operation. It’s used when seriously ill patients need a transfusion. And it’s used when infants need an infusion before they are fully developed.
It’s estimated somebody in our country needs blood every 2 seconds. One out of every seven people who enter a hospital will need blood. One pint of donated blood can save up to three lives.
Yet, most people do not take the single hour required to provide this critical liquid.
To donate, you simply need to be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, be healthy and be free of contagious diseases.
Only 37 percent of the population of the United States meets that criteria. That makes blood donors a special and important breed.
In addition, blood centers estimate they only need 25 percent of the population to donate to keep a viable supply on hand. However, less than 10 percent of the population actually does.
This, once again, is where Baby Boomers can make a difference. Our 78-million member generation can reverse this trend. As a group, if we decide to increase the number of blood donors that would provide blood centers with the infusion they so desperately need.
Blood center officials say if donations increased even 1 percent, that would eliminate most of the nationwide shortages.
So, come on. Many Boomers are retired or semi-retired. Many remember the activist days of the 1960s where we were told to think of the community as a whole before thinking individual wants and needs.
We can use our time and our credo from the past to fix this problem. If we can replenish our nation’s blood supply, it would set a sterling example for the rest of our nation. Perhaps it would carry over into other issues.
So, give an hour and give a pint. It can make a difference.