measi's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Day of Caring Before the tragedy occurred in various parts of the USA last week, my company had arranged today, September 21st, as a corporate "Day of Caring," where employees could sign up for various volunteer work during the day, still get paid for the day, and help make a difference in the community. Projects range from animal shelters to food banks to helping paint senior living facilities. Since there was an overwhelming response for the one I was interested in (animal shelters), and the rest were difficult for me to get to (since I don't have a car), I asked my manager, Linda, if I could instead go and do my normal platelet donation in lieu of other volunteer work. After all... platelet donations take a couple hours to do, help save lives, and is something that a lot of people are both unable or unwilling to do. Linda was all for it. So two weeks ago when I went in for my normal appointment, I scheduled my "volunteer" appointment. This was, of course, before planes started crashing. After the tragedy occurred, thousands of people flooded local American Red Cross and hospital-sponsored donation centers across the country. During a time of crisis, donating platelets can be awkward and time-consuming, as it takes nearly two hours to do, as opposed to the roughly half-hour to donate whole blood, as what happens in a blood drive. The problem that occurred was that during the crisis blood donations, regular platelet donors either stayed away, or were asked to stay away so that the crisis-time donors could be accommodated. The result of this is that the platelet supply is now extremely low, since platelets only have a five-day shelf life, as opposed to 40 days for whole blood. So when I went to donate today, I did a "double" donation, rather than my normal one. Since donating platelets is a bit different than donating red blood (you get your red blood cells back... it's an oddly fascinating procedure... at least for me, the doctor's kid), in times of need two doses can be drawn at once. It was a tough donation today... the vein in my arm kept wanting to collapse on me, and the draw pressure wasn't steady. But after 110 minutes of sitting in that chair, I'd finished, and it was probably the most important two hours I've spent in that chair. If you haven't donated blood, please do... at least go once before ruling it out. Afraid of needles? I can understand that... guess what? I am, too... and I can't look at my arm as they put the needle in. I always have to look away. But as you walk out of that donation center, you get a feeling of pride that you just helped prolong or save someone's life. Thousands of people went and volunteered over the past couple of weeks. They can't donate for another two months. Other people will be needed to replentish the blood supply until they can return (and most won't return). So please... do the easiest bit of volunteer work you'll ever have to do. Go donate blood and have your own Day of Caring. --Mel.
3:22 p.m. - 21 September 2001 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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