Give Blood (3)
I read that doctors are being forced to make difficult decisions about who receives blood transfusions and who has to wait until more blood products become available. Essentially it’s a form of triage.
My former dormmate has an ongoing health problem caused by a tick bite. Her body doesn’t produce enough hemoglobin to carry oxygen in her blood. For a couple of years now, she’s needed weekly blook transfusions just to survive. But when she went to the hospital for a transfusion a little while back, she was told they didn’t have her type and she’d have to wait.
Oh, my goodness. How is she managing to cope?
Unfortunately, she’s had to wait for blood several times in recent months. When that happens, her condition gets worse, and she has to bee hospitalized while she waits for blood. My friends worries that the next time she needs blood, it may not arrive in time to keep her alive. This has made me a strong advocate of giving blood.
Yes, while some types of medical care can wait, others can’t. Accident victims, cancer patients and people with blood disorders like sickle cell disease need blood transfusions to live. The unique thing about blood is that it can’t be manufactured or stockpiled. It can only be made available through the kindness of volunteer donors.
Each year, 4 1/2million Americans need blood for various reasons.
