- Slug: DORMAN- Blood Shortage
- Runtime: 3:55
- Downloadable audio here. (Note: Some web browsers may not support media download
HOST INTRO:
THE COUNTRY IS FACING THE WORST BLOOD SHORTAGE IN OVER A DECADE. SHORTAGES ARE RELATIVELY COMMON BUT THE ONGOING PANDEMIC, BAD WEATHER AND THE HOLIDAY SEASON HAVE LED TO CANCELED BLOOD DRIVES. CRONKITE NEWS REPORTER KIRSTEN DORMAN EXPLAINS IT’S BEEN SO BAD THAT THE AMERICAN RED CROSS HAS DECLARED A NATIONAL BLOOD CRISIS.
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NORMALLY, IT’S PREFERABLE TO HAVE A FIVE DAY SUPPLY OF BLOOD ON THE SHELF. THAT’S ACCORDING TO COURTNEY SLANAKER. SHE’S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE RED CROSS SOUTHERN ARIZONA CHAPTER. LATELY, SHE SAYS, THEY’VE HAD A SUPPLY FOR ABOUT A DAY OR LESS.
(3:37) COURTNEY SLANAKER: “It’s really the- the worst blood shortage we’ve seen in over a decade, so that tells you something about where the blood supply is- is resting right now.”
THIS TIME OF YEAR IS USUALLY MORE CHALLENGING. BLOOD DRIVES GET CANCELED BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING FROM WEATHER TO COVID-19. THAT’S ACCORDING TO SUE THEW, WITH VITALANT. THAT’S ARIZONA’S LARGEST NONPROFIT INDEPENDENT BLOOD PROVIDER. THEW SAYS BLOOD DRIVES AREN’T HAPPENING LIKE THEY USED TO.
SUE THEW: “[P]rior to the pandemic, we were running about 300 blood drives every single month across the state of Arizona … Right now, we’re down by about one third, or about 100 blood drives a month, lower than what we were before the pandemic. ”
IN ARIZONA MORE PEOPLE ARE STEPPING UP TO GIVE BLOOD.
(0:47) RICHARD O’CONNOR: “There are some people that can’t donate, so I try to make up for those that can’t.”
RICHARD O’CONNOR HAS BEEN GIVING BLOOD FOR 45 YEARS. HE SAYS HE DOES IT BECAUSE IT’S HIS CIVIC DUTY.
(1:22) RICHARD O’CONNOR: “There are a lot of people in need, and hopefully people will be there if I ever need blood.”
SLANAKER SAYS THAT WITH MORE PEOPLE LIKE O’CONNOR DONATING BLOOD, IT’S CREATED A CHALLENGE TO GET PEOPLE BOOKED.
(17:07) COURTNEY SLANAKER: “We need more blood drive sponsors … that sign up to actually host a blood drive with us, then there’s a location where all these donors that are ready to donate have a spot to do so.”
VITALANT IS ALSO OFFERING VIRTUAL BLOOD DRIVES.
A HYPERLINK UNIQUE TO THE ORGANIZATION ‘HOSTING’ THE DRIVE IS SENT TO PARTICIPANTS. THEW SAYS THEY CAN THEN DONATE AT ANY VITALANT DONATION CENTER OR BLOOD DRIVE NEARBY.
SUE THEW: “it’s a way to keep that feeling of togetherness with the people in your organization, even though we might be further apart right now.”
SLANAKER AND THEW SAY IT’S IMPORTANT TO DONATE REGULARLY. BLOOD CAN’T BE STOCKPILED. SLANAKER SAYS WHOLE BLOOD ONLY LASTS 42 DAYS.
(5:37) COURTNEY SLANAKER: “Help us prevent shortages … we need you to donate now, yes, but we also need you to donate in three months and six months, in nine months and in 12 months and having those regular ongoing donations, is going to help us curb a future shortage.”
THEW SAYS MOST PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT A REGULAR BLOOD SUPPLY IS UNLESS THEY KNOW SOMEONE WHO’S NEEDED IT. FOR THEW, THAT REALIZATION WAS VERY PERSONAL.
SUE THEW: “… three of my immediate family members have been blood recipients. My father had a heart attack on Christmas Eve and was rushed to the hospital during the most difficult week of the year to attract blood donors.”
THEW SAYS HER FATHER RELIED ON BLOOD FROM 15 DIFFERENT DONORS DURING HIS SURGERY, AND FOR A MONTH AFTER.
SUE THEW: “… because of those 15 blood donors, my dad lived another year and a half and that’s really what we’re talking about is the fact that you know blood donors give us time with the people that we care about, and there is no substitute for it.”
MOST PEOPLE DON’T WAKE UP EXPECTING TO NEED A BLOOD TRANSFUSION THAT DAY, BUT THEW SAYS SOME PEOPLE NEED REGULAR TRANSFUSIONS TO LIVE.
SUE THEW: “There’s a young lady named Adilyn. She’s a Valley six year old … and she’s receiving her 95th blood transfusion because her body can’t make her own red blood cells. … And there are hundreds of people every single day with stories like that, that depend upon blood donors.”
THAT’S WHY SLANAKER SAYS THERE’S NO BETTER INVESTMENT THAN GIVING AN HOUR OF YOUR TIME TO DONATE BLOOD WHICH CAN POTENTIALLY CHANGE SOMEONE’S LIFE.
KIRSTEN DORMAN, CRONKITE NEWS.
HOST OUTRO:
YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT BLOOD DONATION BY TO GOING TO VITALANT-DOT-ORG, RED CROSS-DOT-ORG.