Shepeard asking for type O negative
5/20/2008 11:36 PM   0 comment(s) on this story E-mail this story to a friend



By HALEY HUGHES Staff writer

There is a desperate need for type O negative blood and blood platelets, say Shepeard Community Blood Center officials.

They are asking that anyone capable of donating blood do so as soon as possible as the situation has reached "crisis" level. Burn patients at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta and cancer patients, particularly at Aiken Regional Medical Centers, are in need of the live-giving substance.

O negative blood is known as the universal donor, meaning everyone can receive it.

Several victims of a recent explosion at a International Paper Plant in Redwood, Miss., were sent to the burn center in Augusta. One person was killed. According to the Associated Press, the explosion occurred as the mill's recovery boiler was being started.

"These burn patients and cancer patients use a lot of platelets," said Pamela Rascon, director of Community Resources for Shepeard. "Platelets help blood coagulate and clot."

Rascon added the burn victims were burned on 65 percent of their body.

Cancer patients need platelets as well, she said, because chemotherapy destroys many of them in the body.

The platelet donating procedure takes anywhere from 45 minutes to one hour. Blood is drawn from a person's arm into a centrifuge. The centrifuge spins the blood to separate platelets from red cells and plasma. The platelets are collected separately while red cells and plasma are returned to the donor through the other arm.

It takes six to 10 donors to collect one platelet donation.

"With Memorial Day coming up, we are going to be in big need," Rascon said.

The one pint of blood drawn during a donation can save three local lives.

Aiken's Shepeard Community Blood Center is located at 353 Fabian Drive and can be reached at 643-7996.

Bloodmobile locations

Friday

Target

2545 Whiskey Road

9 a.m. from noon

Saturday

St. Mary's Help of Christians

118 York St.

4 p.m. from 7 p.m.

Sunday

St. Mary's Help of Christians

118 York St.

7:45 a.m. from 2 p.m.

Tuesday

Carlisle Tire

25 Windham Blvd.

10 a.m. from 4 p.m.

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