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January 12, 2007There is a critical shortage of life’s basic building block in the Tri-parish area and officials at the Terrebonne General Medical Center are asking people to step forward and become an everyday hero.
A healthy blood is supply is required on a daily basis for patients at Terrebonne General Medical Center and the need for blood, specifically Type O donors, has become urgent.
Rhonda Alfred, director of the Marketing and Planning Department at TGMC, said the need is greatest around this time of year because of a number of seasonal influences. With the peak season of flu, colds and other respiratory viruses, many people who usually donate cannot because of illness. Other regular donators miss sessions because of the hectic holiday season.
The shortage of donors paired with the higher rate of usage during the winter months, plus a national shortage epidemic, TGMC is struggling to meet patient needs.
Donating just one pint of blood could save up to three lives, Alfred said.
She explained that first-time donators are urged to make it a regular habit; it is possible to give blood once every eight weeks.
“Donating routinely helps ensure that blood is always available for patients who are anemic, fighting cancer or requiring surgery,” she said.
Because the negative string of Type O blood can be universally used and the positive string is the most common blood type, the medical center is in need of a large supply to keep up with daily demands.
The donation process takes about 40 minutes, and Alfred said the TGMC staff takes special care, ensuring the procedure is 100-percent safe. There are a number of requirements for giving blood: the donor must be in good health, weigh at least 110 pounds and must be at least 17-years old.
Donations are made at the TGMC Blood Donor Center, located on Belanger Street across from the parking garage of the Government Annex Building. The center is open from Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., and until 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays.
Each donor will receive a complimentary blood donor T-shirt or cholesterol screening and the knowledge that not just one life was saved, but possibly three.
For more information on donating blood or to avoid a lengthy wait by scheduling an appointment, call the donor center at (985) 873-4025 or (985) 873-4029.
Andrea Carlson can be reached at andrea@tri-parishtimes.com.
