The Difference A Drop Makes

Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs a blood transfusion. 

Even more staggering: One in three of us will need this life-saving procedure. While the average transfusion is three pints, an accident victim could need as many as 100. And, during a tragedy like the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting, victims clinging to life at Orlando Health hospital desperately needed 441 units. 

“Blood that is donated today will likely be transfused into a patient within two to three days. The turnaround is that fast – the need is constant,” emphasizes Pat Michaels, director of media and public relations for OneBlood, a not-for-profit blood center with five main campuses in Florida, which distributes 1 million blood products annually to more than 250 hospitals in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. 

Each year, 4.5 million lives are saved by blood transfusions, according to the American Red Cross. Although about 38 percent of the population is eligible to give blood, statistics show that only between 3 and 10 percent do so annually. 

“Nationally, the surplus collected over what is transfused continues to shrink, which is a concern for disaster preparedness,” says Dr. Justin Kreuter, a transfusion medicine physician at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “It is the blood that was donated last week that saved the lives today.”

Adds Michaels: “A ready blood supply is crucial. Tragedies like the Pulse shooting, Parkland school shooting and Naval Air Station Pensacola shooting strongly emphasize this fact.”   

Donated whole blood takes a complex and fascinating journey from the donor to the recipient – all within 24 to 48 hours. A small sample is tested for more than a dozen pathogens and viruses – including HIV, COVID antibodies and hepatitis – and labeled as one of eight types (A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB-, O+ and O-).

Simultaneously, the rest of the blood is separated into red blood cells, plasma and platelets while white cells are removed to reduce the possibility of a poor reaction to the transfusion. Once declared safe, the blood is labeled and stored until needed.

Red blood cells, used to treat anemia or blood loss, must be refrigerated and used in 42 days; platelets, a lifesaver for patients with leukemia and other forms of cancer, are stored at room temperature and have a five-day shelf life; while plasma, used to treat liver failure, severe infections and serious burns, can be frozen for a year.

Each pint of whole blood can help as many as three people, including chemotherapy and sickle cell patients; premature babies; transplant and trauma patients; and, lately, those battling COVID-19. 

The Need For Blood Donors can give whole blood every 56 days; platelets every seven days (maximum 24 times a year); plasma every 28 days (up to 12 times annually); or double red blood cells (twice the amount of red cells, without platelets or plasma) every 112 days. Type O blood, the most prevalent, is most often requested by hospitals. But the need for O- blood (present in only 7 percent of the population) is especially critical since it can be used in transfusions for any blood type. Meanwhile, AB+ plasma – present in 3 percent of the U.S. population – can be transfused to patients of all blood types and is usually in short supply. 

Source: American Red Cross/OneBlood

And people like Wendy Corso-Ruud, who’s been saved by transfusions – twice. The first was when she was diagnosed at birth with erythroblastosis, a hemolytic disease caused by Rh incompatibility. 

“I should have died,” says the Boca Raton resident. “I had last rites.”

Ironically, her second transfusion was 24 years ago at Boca Raton Regional Hospital to counteract pre- and post-partum hemorrhaging.

“I kept saying, ‘Make sure the baby is OK. I’ll be fine,’” recalls Corso-Ruud, who had tried for four years to get pregnant. Her baby, whom she named Anika, was fine. But Mom wasn’t. 

“My family didn’t tell me how bad the situation was at the time,” says the 57-year-old child care provider and frequent blood donor. “I heard later the operating room looked like a battlefield with all the blood.”

She’s forever grateful for the unknown donors whose blood saved her life. 

“During the first few of 10 days in the hospital, I received about 28 units of blood, which saved my life and allowed me two years later to have another little girl,” she wrote on OneBlood’s testimonial site. “Thanks and blessings to all the donors who give.”

Her daughters, Anika and Olivia, wanted to pay it back: They, too, became blood donors when they were old enough. 

“It’s a story with a happy ending,” says Corso-Ruud. “My motto is to be positive. When they told me my blood type was B+, I thought, ‘This is so appropriate.’” 

Since blood can only be stored for a limited time, it must be constantly replenished. That’s why every iota of blood is precious, like sprinkles of rain during an oppressive drought.

“Whether a patient receives whole blood, red cells, platelets or plasma, this lifesaving care starts with one person making a generous donation,” says Grace Meinhofer, regional director of communications and marketing for the South Florida Region of the American Red Cross.

Donors, like 39-year-old Daniel Lassman, may never meet those they save. But they’re the unseen heroes. 

“It’s easy to do, doesn’t hurt and helps others,” says the Boynton Beach resident, who has been donating blood since he was 18. “We have a duty to help each other out. It’s not a big deal to do when you’re healthy – and there’s likely going to come a day when you’ll need the help in return. I wish I could donate more and help more people.”

Over the years, he estimates he’s donated at least two and a half gallons of blood – often during a mobile blood drive, like those offered by OneBlood on its Big Red Bus, during his lunch hour – and he urges others to do the same.

“Most of the phlebotomists are excellent, and you don’t feel anything,” says the digital marketer. “And, really, you feel good afterward because you’re doing something positive.”

Dr. Kreuter wants to reassure people that donating blood – as well as receiving a transfusion – is totally safe. 

“We are thinking about both donor and recipient safety when qualifying a potential donor for blood donation,” he says. “A lot of quality oversight and systems are in place to ensure that the blood inside the unit is as safe as possible.” 

Officials are heavily broadcasting that message, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has posed unprecedented challenges to the country’s blood supply.  

“While the strain of this pandemic weighs heavily on our nation, we must continue to care for one another,” says Meinhofer of Red Cross, which provides about 40 percent of the nation’s blood and blood components. “It’s important to remember that blood is perishable and cannot be stockpiled. Eligible individuals who are feeling healthy are urged to make an appointment today to donate.”

Ultimately, every blood type holds a unique power to save lives, notes Michaels: “Giving blood is one of the most profound gifts a human can give. A blood donation can give a person a second chance at life and quite often saves lives. If you think your blood donation does not make a difference, tell that to a person who is alive today because someone gave blood days before.” 

People cannot donate blood who:

• Are under age 17 (16 with written consent from a parent or guardian)
• Weigh less than 110 pounds
• Have low hemoglobin
• Have ever had Ebola virus infection or disease
• Have spent three cumulative months (including military service) in the United Kingdom between 1980 to 1996
• Have traveled to countries where malaria is endemic (must wait three months after returning to the U.S.)
• Are pregnant (they can donate six weeks after giving birth)
• Received an organ transplant within the previous three months
• Have AIDS or have had a positive HIV test 
• Are taking various types of blood thinners