Councilwoman Theresa Ellis has more than 30 years in healthcare management and knows the importance of donating blood, especially during these challenging times when the supply to save lives is in critical demand.
She began to work with the American Red Cross during the beginning phase of the pandemic to increase donation sites and days available for giving to meet the shortage. Ellis is leading the celebration of National Blood Donor Month in January with a proclamation for the Manassas City Council meeting on Jan. 11 to recognize volunteers and givers.
“I have worked closely with David P. Chesler, Disaster Program Manager; and Steven Bratland, Biomedical Services, American Red Cross, and we are excited to report that Manassas City has collected 1,165 units of blood from March 15th, 2020 thru January 2nd, 2021, with the potential of saving up to 3,495 lives,” said Ellis.
Amelia Gagnon, Manassas City Fire & Rescue Emergency Management Planner, was a key connector to the Red Cross and donor locations in the City. Ellis, Gagnon, and the Red Cross added Grace United Methodist Church and Manassas Baptist Church as new locations. An increase in scheduling days was added at Manassas Volunteer Rescue. All Saints Church Knights of Columbus and Manassas Church of the Brethren continued serving as blood donor sites.
Blood transfusions are the most frequent procedure performed in hospitals with more than 33,000 daily donations required to meet patient needs in the U.S. To ensure blood is available when needed, communities worldwide rely on the commitment of blood donors who give at blood centers and drives to continue serving their communities through the availability of a safe and robust blood supply.
As National Blood Donor Month approaches, American Red Cross challenges all eligible individuals to commit to donating blood in 2021 with the goal of creating a robust supply that can meet patient needs.
Here are some top facts about donating blood: You may give blood with a tattoo. Type O negative is the most common and universal blood donor blood type and in high demand. Only 7% of the population are O negative blood type. The universal plasma donor has Type AB blood and is in high demand.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought an unprecedented fluctuation in both supply and the need for blood. We thank all current and future blood and convalescent plasma donors for their commitment to saving lives and encourage those who have previously donated to reconnect with your local blood center or drive as a handful of guidelines have changed such as travel restrictions, increasing the number of eligible donors,” said ADRP Executive Director Carla Peterson. “Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood which must always be immediately available on the shelf. Blood has a very short shelf life span and must be constantly replenished year-round to ensure availability for all patients.”ADRP is an Association of Donor Recruitment Professionals, An International Division of America’s Blood Centers.
According to the American Red Cross, (RedCross.org), as COVID-19 cases have increased, so has the need for convalescent plasma – a lifesaving blood product. Recovered COVID-19 donors can contribute convalescent plasma to help others going through COVID-19 treatment.
Novant UVA Hospital Center recommends visiting RedCross.org to make an appointment or visit InovaBlood.org to give blood to save lives and make a difference. All successful blood donations will be tested for the coronavirus antibody.
