Blood donor numbers increase

KateLynn Slaamot
NLJ Correspondent
 
Despite many April blood drives being canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Newcastle still hosted its drive, and even received more donors than usual. According to Ellen Butts, local coordinator for the Vitalant blood drives, Newcastle has really pulled through to donate blood even through this time.  
Butts said that the April blood drive took place at the Newcastle Lodge and Convention Center. She wanted to give a huge thank you to the business for providing the venue. For the April drive, Butts said, 73 people filled appointment slots, exceeding the usual 65 slots available. Because of this, there was no space for walk-ins. 
“I had 27 more people come in as walk-ins that I had to turn away,” Butts said. 
In addition to the remarkable April blood drive, the June one was even bigger. Every slot was filled, and walk-ins were welcome if donors were willing to wait, Butts said. While the April drive received 55 units of blood, with the potential to save up to 160 lives, the June drive boasted 59 units, with potential to save up to 168 lives. 
“The people who donate blood are those heroes behind the scenes,” Butts said. “They’re actually out there saving lives.” 
Butts said that each person has the potential to save up to three lives, and it makes a huge difference. 
The coronavirus brought an influx in donors for Vitalant generally, according to Jessica Pierce, the donor recruitment representative in Rapid City. 
With the number of donations up, the need for donations has also increased. Butts said that patients with chronic illnesses still need blood regularly, accidents still happen, and many incidents call for donated blood to save lives. Pierce said that COVID antibody tests are also being included for those who successfully donate blood. 
While the past few months have been quite impressive, Butts said, she has seen a general decrease in donations. Butts has been the local coordinator for several years. Ten or 15 years ago, she said, there were easily 80 or more people showing up for blood drives. Most donors, however, were 60 years of age or older. This has led to a decrease in donors over the years as those donors age out. Butts hopes to encourage younger people to donate blood to save lives. Teens can also donate blood, with parental consent.
“Everyone that donates is saving at least one life,” Butts said, noting that those who donate blood also receive a call when their blood has been used. 
While some blood is transported farther away, most of the blood drawn in Newcastle stays in the region, according to Pierce. 
“It helps people feel like they’re making a difference locally,” Pierce said. 
The next Newcastle blood drive is Aug. 3, at the Weston County Senior Center, from 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Anyone interested in signing up for an appointment slot can call Butts at 746-4251, or log on to bloodhero.com and use code NEWCASTLE to locate the drive. Walk-ins are also welcome. 
Butts said that she is extremely proud of the people of Newcastle and how much they have come together to sacrifice a little bit of themselves to save lives. She also hopes to see more and more people come out to donate blood and share in the reward that it brings. 
“I just want the community to know how much they’re appreciated,” Butts said.
 
 
Who can give?
According to Piper Allard, director of patient services at Weston County Health Services, the hospital keeps six units of blood on hand for emergency situations such as trauma, gastrointestinal bleeding and other emergency needs. Two of those units are the universal donor Type O-negative, and anyone receiving that type doesn’t need to have their blood drawn to be typed and crossmatched.
According to healthine.com, blood typing finds what type of blood the patient has – type A, B, AB, or O. The blood will also be categorized as either Rh positive or Rh negative for the positive and negative signs that accompany the blood type. Cross-matching tests for “harmful interactions” between the patient’s blood and the donor’s blood. 
Scheduled transfusions must come in to get their blood drawn for typing and cross-matching, and the blood is then ordered and will arrive the next day. Some patients require regular transfusions for certain conditions such as chronic anemia or lung disease. 
“There’s just always a need (for donors),” Allard said, noting that the need increases in the summer due to an influx in the number of people who have been in accidents. 
While the hospital isn’t involved with blood donor eligibility requirements, the Vitalant website lays out information on who is eligible to give blood. Donors must be at least 16 years of age, have parental permission, not weigh less than 110 pounds, be in good health and wait at least eight weeks in between “whole” blood donations. For more eligibility requirements, such as health conditions, medications, HIV/AIDS risk factors, etc., check the Vitalant website at vitalant.org.