Organizers are hoping for big results from the JPS blood drive May 29 because, after all, someone you care about may depend on its success.
“We hold a blood drive here every 56 days to do our share to keep the supply for the region stocked,” said Laci Dreyer, Transfusion Safety Program Coordinator at JPS. “We always hope to have a good turnout. But this time it’s even more urgent that we have a successful collection because there is an overall shortage of blood in the Metroplex.”
Not only is the area blood supply low. Unfortunately, increased car travel and outdoor activities over the Memorial Day holiday weekend are likely to drive up the demand for blood transfusions, according to Dreyer. As a Level I Trauma Center, JPS frequently handles critically injured patients likely in need of blood transfusions. Donated blood is processed into its components, red blood cells, plasma and platelets. All three are used in resuscitation of trauma patients with significant blood loss.
Dreyer said the typical goal at a JPS blood drive is to collect about 30 units of blood. That’s on par with what the health network was able to take in at its previous two collections in 2018. But, she’s hoping for an even better turnout this time to help get the area blood supply back up to the level where it needs to be.
While 30 units of blood collected in one day is impressive – some other Metroplex area drives average 8-10 units per collection – the need to replenish the blood supply is never ending. At JPS alone, about 1,000 units of blood are used in an average month, Dreyer said.
The blood drive will be held Tuesday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. in the Skills Lab of the Main Hospital, take the red elevators to the third floor. To register to donate or for more information, click here. Donors must bring a state-issued photo identification card with them. It is recommended that people who wish to donate eat before they arrive.
Carter BloodCare screens all donors, a process that includes a finger-stick blood test for hemoglobin, which transports oxygen and is rich in iron. Would-be donors with low hemoglobin levels must be asked to postpone donation. To raise the odds of successful donation, Carter BloodCare recommends maintaining a healthy hemoglobin level by eating foods rich in iron.
Iron-rich foods include meat, fish and poultry; vegetables such as spinach, sweet potatoes, peas, broccoli, string beans and kale; fruits including strawberries, watermelon, raisins and prunes; and foods such as tofu, beans, tomato products and lentils.