By VICKI BROWN
Colleton County people stepped up to donate to the Blood Connection on July 12.
With an extreme shortage of blood throughout the region, 64 people volunteered to give blood. There were 61 pints of blood collected.
Someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds, and one in ten patients who show up to a hospital will need blood. Over 600 people need to donate every day to meet the daily needs of the hospitals in the lowcountry.
Blood is only good for 42 days. It can’t be replicated or produced. It is because of our volunteer blood donors that blood is there for local patients in need of transfusions.
Right now, hospitals are responding to an unusually high number of traumas and emergency room visits, as well as overdoses and resulting transplants.
The pandemic is responsible for most of the blood needs and shortages.
In addition to traumas, there is a great hospital demand for blood as people who were unable to have surgery during the height of the pandemic are now receiving care, requiring increased blood transfusions.
Over the last three months, 75,000 more blood products have been distributed than expected. As a result of this shortage, some hospitals are being forced to slow the pace of surgeries until the blood supply stabilizes. For some people, their conditions are growing worse while waiting for surgery.
Giving blood is a way neighbors help neighbors, and it saves lives. Donors are urged to make an appointment to give blood now.
Those that came to donate blood were: Summer White, Mary Howe, Ian Saunders, Leslie Yurcho, Fran Mack, Erica Sherffield, Perry Ramsey, Mylinda O’Quinn, Cathleen Hiers, Mike Kuszmal, Stacy Thomas, Margaret Brown, Mary Jo Fox, Scotty Kinard, Linda Clark, Vicki Syfrett, Celeste Stone, Steve Blake, Kevin Wicker, Arlene Cassedy, Doris Nettles, Richard Johnston, Gary Hermann, Casey Babb, John West, Bonnie Mesick, Hope Hipp, Terry Griffin, Carroll Griffin, Richard Berry, Sonya Manigo, Susan Harrison, Brenda Washington, Cathy Crosby, Diane Wicker, Keivy Rowes, Jarvis Craven, Savan Patel, Marilyn Peters, Annette Harley, Hannah Clowers, Terry Pournelle, P.A. Pournelle, Allison Langdale, Lin Houck, Willie Dobison, Kania Haynes, Kenneth Rahn, Mike Hutto, Kristine Moore, Samantha O’Conner, Samantha Worles, Jeanette Smith, Kimberly Mullinax, Heather Tuten, Sandra Kinard, Robert Sherry, Sherri Watson, Kevin Tully, Crystal Delonge, Cathy Risher, Tim Mabry, Diane Rayside, and Becki Foster.
All volunteers signed releases, proud to have their names publicized as blood donors.
The next blood drive will be on September 13, 2021. For information call Norma weeks at 843-538-8950.
