One donation makes a difference

BROWN COUNTY – As people all throughout the county are making sure they’ve got a gift for everyone on their list this holiday season, the American Red Cross is asking community members to consider taking part in a different type of giving this holiday season at its 21st annual Holiday Blood Drive, scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 23, at the Ashwaubenon Community Center, and Wednesday, Dec. 24, at Howard Village Hall.

“We think about this as the season of giving but it’s not just about giving gifts,” said Rebecca Rockhill, executive director of the American Red Cross Northeast WI Chapter. “It’s about giving so much more. And what a great gift to give — the gift of life through giving blood.”

Whether it goes to someone experiencing a sudden crisis or a patient requiring regular transfusions, Rockhill said the blood products collected during just one donation can make a big impact.

“We never really realize just how important a single donation can be until it may be us or a family member who needs it and realize the life-saving impact of being able to receive blood and knowing that the shelves are stocked and blood is available,” she said. “When an individual comes in to donate blood, or if they don’t come in, they may feel like, ‘What does one donation change?’ It changes a lot for someone who that one donation could really help in a time of crisis… Even coming in one time to donate could really help to save someone’s life.”

Winter weather and busy schedules mean donations tend to slow down this season, though the need for blood products remains.

“Right now, especially with all the winter storms that have been hitting hard across Wisconsin, we’ve had to cancel quite a few blood drives and we see people unable to attend because of not wanting to go out in the cold or not being able to because of snow and ice conditions,” Rockhill said. “So it’s particularly important that we get individuals in to help provide those vital blood products and so that we can collect those blood and platelet donations that have been going uncollected and help catch up on some of that to make sure it’s available when those in need are requiring a blood transfusion.”

For those planning on donating at one of next week’s events, Rockhill recommends making sure that you’re feeling well and that you’re well-hydrated and well-fed before your appointment.

Those who have donated blood before can complete their pre-check-in process on the Red Cross Blood app, and those who are new to donating will do an initial health screening upon arrival. After that, Rockhill said the donation process is actually quite brief.

“It’s really only about 15 minutes that you’re sitting if you’re giving a regular blood donation…” she said. “A phlebotomist is always right there with you to talk you through it and during this Holiday Blood Drive, Mrs. Claus may be walking around doing some trivia that day as well.”

While walk-in donations will be accepted throughout the Holiday Blood Drive events, Rockhill encourages those interested in donating to schedule an appointment either online at redcrossblood.org, by calling the Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767 or through the Red Cross Blood app, which also allows users to track where their donation ends up.

“You won’t see, obviously, who it goes to, but you will be able to see where it went…” Rockhill said. “Many of our donations stay local and we want them to stay local, but if there’s a large emergency somewhere or a large accident or disaster, we will take the blood where it’s needed. It’s fascinating for people to say, ‘Hey, my blood made it out to Washington state where there’s major flooding right now and people have been in need of blood.’ It’s really an interesting, fun part of knowing how and where you’re contributing.”