Bourbon County Red Cross seeks more blood donors

The Bourbon County Chapter of the American Red Cross is searching for more donors to contribute to its life-saving blood donation campaign.

The contribution of a unit of blood at a Red Cross blood center or area blood drive can potentially prolong the life of a needy hospital patient by days and even years, a Red Cross statement said. A local blood drive will be conducted from 1 to 7 p.m. April 14, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 15, at Fort Scott Community College's Arnold Arena, 2108 S. Horton St.

American Red Cross and United Way of Bourbon County Executive Secretary Whendi Martin said organizers of the blood drive will try to draw 150 units, or pints, of blood on the first day of the drive, and 50 units on the second day. Each donor is asked to give one pint of blood.

The non-profit agency has a goal of filling 150 units during each blood drive it conducts, and has been successful in meeting that goal in recent years, Martin said.

Spring and summer months are typically the times of the year when blood is needed more, as days get longer, temperatures increase, and people start traveling more often, Martin said.

"We're coming up on the summer months, and people are more prone to accidents, that type of thing," she said. "Travel in general increases during the summer months so we need to have blood stocked and ready to go."

Blood has a shelf life of only 42 days, and therefore constantly needs to be replenished. Donors can give blood every 56 days, or up to six times each year, according to the Red Cross.

"Not everyone can donate blood -- and currently only three in 100 in this country do," American Red Cross Central Plains Region CEO Pam Head said. "And those who can donate can give a unit of whole blood only every 56 days. With the advances in medical care and technology, more blood is needed daily."

Martin added many local donors are people who donate each time a blood drive takes place in the area.

"And I think once it affects them personally, once it's gripped them in a personal way, they tend to be a donor every single time they can donate," she said.

An important fact that Martin said she would like people in the community to know is that all blood donated locally to the American Red Cross is used by Mercy Health Center in Fort Scott.

"When you give blood in Fort Scott, you're essentially giving blood to Fort Scott residents," she said.

Those people in need of blood include accident or trauma victims, and people who are scheduled to undergo various surgeries and procedures, including heart surgery, joint replacements, organ transplants, premature baby delivery, and treatment for cancer. People in need can be family, friends, a Little Leaguer down the street, a 30-something jogger, or a senior citizen taking the dog for a daily walk, the Red Cross statement said.

People who are at least 11 years of age, who weigh at least 110 pounds, and are in general good health, may be eligible to donate blood. There is no upper age limit on donors. Those people who are unable to donate blood can still make a contribution by organizing Red Cross blood drives or assisting as a volunteer in local drives.

Each year, the Central Plains Region Blood Services of the American Red Cross distributes about 116,000 pints of blood to patients in need. To do that, the Red Cross counts on at least 500 blood donors throughout Kansas and northern Oklahoma each day, according to the Red Cross.

Each person who donates blood during the FSCC blood drive next month will also receive a free T-shirt, Martin said.

For more information or to schedule an appointment for a donation, call (800) 448-3543, Martin at (620) 223-0980, or visit www.bloodisneeded.org. The Red Cross reminds donors to bring photo identification with them to the donation site.