Community Comes Together for Blood Donations
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Community Comes Together for Blood Donations
Photos by Chris Maney
Above: Nancy Duncan Chambers has blood draw started by phlebotomist Mya Sullivan to support Mr. Williams. Below: Tiffany Jeffers, assessor of property, finishes her blood donation for Mr. Williams
By Chris Maney
On Thursday November 7th, The Medical Regional Blood Center parked a bus at the edge of the parking lot at First National Bank Oneida. To those just passing through, the parking lot seemed quiet. Inside the bus was a different story to be told. At 3:00pm, every seat of the bus was filled with volunteer donors, graciously contributing to a blood bank for Billy Joe Williams. People were waiting inside the bus to be screened for their ability to donate. “People don’t realize how important it is until a family member is impacted, “says Christy Miller, a worker from Scott County who staffed the event. “I didn’t even realize how important it was until I started,” she continued. Unfortunately, donor blood supply must be utilized not only for complex medical conditions, like leukemia, a cancer of leukocytes in the blood, but also for traumas such as car accidents. “One car accident can drain our supply, we always need it,” says Mya Sullivan, a worker from Knoxville who came to assist Scott County’s blood drive. By 4:15pm, an estimated 50 people arrived, 9 were deferred due to contraindications. She estimated that 41 units of blood were taken with a vast majority going to support Mr. Williams. Christy Miller wanted to inform the community that donations take around thirty minutes and that the donation center will take samples to ensure it is safe to donate. They will rule out hypertension (high blood pressure) and hypotension (low blood pressure), check red blood cells to rule out anemia. She emphasized that platelet donations are always in high need as well, but the process is longer and requires a clinic visit. Patients may need plasma for many reasons including cancer, autoimmune conditions, blood loss, etc. Patients in need of both blood and plasma rely on a steady stream of donors. For those seeking to donate, more information can be received by contacting MEDIC regional blood center at 865.524.3074
