Feature
January
12
Thibodaux Blood Bank Seeks Donors
by The Weekly Staff
A local blood bank is in urgent need of type O negative blood. United Blood Services in Thibodaux issued a call for type O negative blood because the current supply is alarmingly low.
Blood donations typically decline during the holiday season and supplies decrease because communities often experience an increase in motor vehicle accidents while fewer people stop by blood banks to donate during that time, said Ashley Bilello, donor recruitment representative for UBS.
And type O negative blood is especially vulnerable during this time because it is the universal blood type. That means it is the go-to type for emergency situations, births and other transfusion needs when others types aren’t available.
“If we don’t have your specific blood type, type O is used,” Bilello said. “When babies are born, they are too young to type, so that blood is used.”
For people with type O negative blood, that same blood type is the only one they can receive when blood is needed. A low supply puts these patients at risk when it comes to a life-or-death emergency situation.
Nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population has type O positive blood, while only about 7 percent has type O negative blood. Half of all blood ordered by local hospitals is type O blood. Perhaps most alarming is that although an estimated 38 percent of the population is eligible to donate at any time, less than 10 percent do so annually.
And that has become the concern for Thibodaux’s UBS, which provides blood to 60 Louisiana hospitals, including Thibodaux Regional Medical Center.
January is recognized as National Blood Donor Month, and UBS in Thibodaux is hoping both faithful and new donors will step up to the plate to save three lives each by donating just one pint of blood. Because blood is broken down into smaller components like platelets and plasma, the pint can be distributed to patients with specific needs. Cancer patients may need platelets, while burn victims may require plasma transfusions.
How often a donor can give blood varies on what components are being collected, and can range from every three days for platelet donations to every eight weeks for whole blood donations. The shelf life for whole blood is 35-40 days and up to seven days for platelets with components being stored in large refrigerators or freezers within a lab. Plasma can be frozen and stored for one year after donation.
These limited storage times are why it is so important for community donations to replenish stock at local blood banks, especially when blood can be used up very quickly in cases of trauma or disaster.
To be eligible to donate blood, a person must be in good health and generally at least age 18 (sometimes age 16), according to state law. Minimum weight requirements may vary among facilities, but, typically, donors must weigh at least 110 pounds. All donors must pass physical and health history examinations given prior to donation. The donor’s body replenishes the fluid lost from donation in 24 hours.
And that’s all it takes to be a lifesaver.
“Our community is usually really good about coming together to support the cause,” Bilello said. “You never know when it could be you or a family member in need of blood.”
If you’d like to donate blood, especially type O negative, call 985-625-5433 to set up an appointment at UBS, 2000E Audubon Ave., Thibodaux. The blood bank is open Monday and Wednesday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., and Friday from 8 a.m. until noon.
