A blood shortage facing the UCLA medical community has resulted
in emergency blood drives and the need for more student donors to
boost a dwindling blood supply.
The American Red Cross, for the first time ever, is unable to
provide the UCLA Medical Center with any type O blood, which can be
used for anyone in an urgent situation. Other blood types are also
in short supply.
“This is the worst blood shortage I’ve experienced
in my professional career,” said Dr. Priscilla Figueroa,
director of transfusion medicine.
Blood donations lower during the holidays, especially at UCLA.
Students leave and donors get scarce.
The UCLA Blood and Platelet Center receives about 50 percent of
all its blood supply from the American Red Cross and relies on
donors for the rest.
As a regional trauma center, the medical center treats various
patients that arrive from surrounding areas. It relies on the blood
supply for emergencies within the region.
Currently, no emergency surgeries have been postponed due to the
blood shortage. However, transfusions and regular surgeries have
had to be screened carefully in order to make blood available for
those in more immediate need.
Two-year-old John Paul Quintero relies on this blood supply in
order to survive. Diagnosed with diamond blackfan anemia at the age
of 2 months, his bone marrow does not produce enough red blood
cells.
Quintero must have a blood transfusion every two to three weeks
in order to live. For the past year and a half his family has
relied on the blood bank for his blood supply and now uses private
donors.
“Many people make the time for other things, but not
enough time to donate blood. There’s always next time. But
there’s no next time for John Paul ““ so no blood, no
John Paul,” said Marisol Quintero, John Paul’s
mother.
Former UCLA student Paul Sachdeva has come to the center to
donate blood for the past three years.
He commutes from Valencia to donate at the center and has
donated a little over two gallons of blood since the start of his
visits.
“It’s a little thing with a huge effect,” said
Sachdeva about donating.
Figueroa encourages students to donate.
“If only 5 percent of the UCLA community donated blood,
that would help meet our need,” Figueroa said.
The donor center will be increasing its hours due to the
shortage and will be conducting blood drives on campus. To donate,
one must be in good health and weigh at least 102 pounds.
The UCLA Blood and Platelet Center is located on the sixth
floor of the 200 Medical Plaza building and will be open Saturday
from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call (310) 825-0888 ext. 2 or e-mail
gotblood@ucla.edu to make an appointment. Walk-ins are
welcome.