The key to getting people to donate blood is convenience, said Cheryl Barkhurst, director of donor recruitment for Mercy Hospital.
That’s even more true this time of year, when Christmas shopping, school programs and holiday parties disrupt people’s normal day-to-day routines.
“Even if they are regular blood donors, it is the first thing to get cut when their schedule gets hectic,” said Barkhurst. “My hope is to remind people that really, giving blood is the ultimate gift. There is truly nothing that can replace this in a treatment setting for a patient who is needing blood products.”
While many people tend to think of blood drives as supporting people who have had a trauma (like a car accident) or are having surgery, there are a good number of chronically ill people who are dependent on blood transfusions as part of their treatment.
“We work with one family that adopted a daughter from China who is transfusion dependent . . . they call it her go-go juice,” Barkhurst said, with a smile. “When she comes in, she’s very tired and lethargic,” but the blood transfusion really perks her up and gets her feeling strong again.
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