Blood Becomes ‘Important Gift’

Thu., Dec. 21, 2000

By Tracy Ellig tracye@spokesman.com

With every beat of his heart, Mike Adams gave a present to someone he’ll never meet.

Adams gave blood Wednesday.

“It’s something that’s so easy to do,” the 53-year-old general contractor said. “It’s one of the few things that’s a very important gift. At Christmastime, I always make sure I’m down here to give a pint.”

“Here” is the Inland Northwest Blood Center at 507 S. Washington in Spokane. The center is having its “Holiday Hero Blood Drive” through Saturday.

“The holidays can be a high demand time for blood,” said Bob Purdy, community service director for the INBC. “There are more people on the road (which means more accidents), and during the holidays people don’t think about donating.”

Blood supplies can grow thin because potential donors are away on vacation or house-bound because of bad weather and the cold and flu season. The blood center is trying to build up its stock because it will be closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Except for the holidays, it’s unusual for the blood center to close for four days over two weeks.

“We want to have 600 units on our shelves, which is about a five- to seven-day supply,” Purdy said.

To reach that goal, the center needs 150 donors daily through Saturday. The blood collected at the center is distributed to 27 hospitals, blood transfusion centers and clinics in the Inland Northwest.

Each unit of blood can help three or more people because it is separated into red blood cells, plasma and platelets. Red blood cells are used for trauma and surgery. Platelets are often used for cancer patients and plasma is used to help burn and trauma patients.

“Seven out of 10 people will need blood at some point during their lives,” Purdy said.

About 50 percent of the population is estimated to be eligible to give blood. But of that group, only 5 percent actually donate.

That means people like Mike Adams are taking care of all the rest of us.

“I feel it’s part of my duty as a citizen,” Adams said.

This sidebar appeared with the story: TO HELP Blood drive

The Inland Northwest Blood Center is taking blood donations through Saturday at 507 S. Washington, in Spokane, and in Coeur d’ Alene at 2100 Ironwood Court. The centers open at 8 a.m.

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