Thursday, December 5, 1996
MEDICAL CENTER:
Amount of donations routinely drop during busy holiday seasonBy
Kathryn Combs
Daily Bruin Contributor
With the holidays steadily approaching, it’s time to crawl out
from under all that wrapping paper and take a break from the
crowded malls and department stores, even temporarily stop studying
for finals because UCLA is offering a chance to give one of the
most precious gifts possible  the gift of life.
The UCLA Blood and Platelet Center is holding its second annual
holiday blood drive during the months of December and January.
This drive, sponsored by medical center leaders, is an effort to
extend the opportunity to donate to more members of the UCLA
community and the community at large.
Karolyn Weide, senior specialist for the UCLA Blood and Platelet
Center, explains why there is a special need for donations during
the holidays.
"There are more car accidents during the holiday season (and)
it’s amazing how dramatically donations drop," Weide said.
The UCLA Blood and Platelet Center supplies the UCLA Medical
Center with almost half of the blood it needs. This year, the
center is aiming to supply 100 percent of the blood donations
needed by UCLA and to increase the number of donors, starting with
the UCLA students, staff and faculty.
"Helene DesRuisseaux, the deputy director for the UCLA Blood and
Platelet Center, sponsored the blood drive last year and everyone
seemed to cooperate a little better," said Kevin Clark, coordinator
of blood donor resources for the Blood and Platelet Center.
"This is a real bad time of year for us  our usages go up
and our donations go down,"Clark said. "Although students are good
valuable donors, right now they are not available."
According to drive organizers such as Weide and Clark, it is
during the holiday season, from November through the end of
January, that blood and platelet donations drop dramatically as
people focus on other concerns, such as finals and holiday
festivities.
Clark says that despite people’s numerous excuses for not
donating, it is critical that they recognize the importance of
donating blood to the community.
"It’s in our own self-interest to donate  the better and
safer blood we have, the more is available to patients," he
said.
"We would like to get more community donors because we need more
blood. When donations drop off, that results in a shortage for the
greater Los Angeles area," Weide added.
Last year’s drive garnered 469 donations, surpassing their goal
of 450 donations.
For this year’s blood drive, organizers hope to recruit 600
blood donors, which could provide blood components for
approximately 1800 patients.
"For each single donor, we make blood components for three
patients. You just aren’t giving to one person, you’re giving to
three people," Weide said.
The Blood and Platelet Center is recruiting donors for all blood
types, but specifically type O. Clark says that type-O blood is
most often used in cases of emergency or trauma because it is
universally compatible with all other blood types.
"I want to make the awareness of the community responsibility to
the blood supply. I can not provide the product to the patients if
it isn’t there," he said.
Clark himself has donated over eight gallons of blood to the
center and is an active recruiter for blood donations.
Volunteer efforts make a difference in both recruiting donors
and making those who already give blood comfortable with their
decision to do so.
Henry Brandler, a volunteer at the center, said that many people
are unsure of donating, but stresses how satisfying it is to help
out.
"I find it very rewarding … I’ve had a successful life, now I
want to give some back," Brandler said.
"It’s a very touching thing, if I could help these people feel
more at ease, I feel that I’ve done something." he added.
The Second Annual Blood Donor Drive is currently being held by
the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center. For general information or to
make an appointment call (310) 825-0888, extension 2. Donors will
receive a seasonal t-shirt.