This is random, but I gave blood for the first time today. Apparantly the blood banks are really, seriously, depleted. It was so easy to do. You can use
this website to find a blood drive. There doesn't seem to be any coming up in Astoria, but there are plenty around the City. Think about it.
They paying these days?
ReplyDeleteThe red cross has gone overboard in its prevention of mad cow and other diseases (prevention is good - but ...) Because I (and probably tens of thousands of other Americans) spent time in England in the 80s (the ban may extend through the 90s) I am on the MAY NOT DONATE list. The screening is too prohibitive - this and other bans are probably why the blood inventories are soooo low.
ReplyDeleteAs far as money - the blood banks found that they receive more donations if its not a paid commodity. Paying people to donate made giving blood a sort of low class, "gotta pay for my next fix" event. WIthout the meager incentive more people are willing to donate as a good deed sort of action.
Jennifer, I agree. I don't even think I would be comfortable accepting money for it. That just seems dirty.
ReplyDeleteI know that one of the reasons the blood bank is so low is because of the war. We're sending all our blood overseas. Yet another reason why the war is bad. Bad bad bad.
I've tried to give blood three times, and they never let me.
ReplyDeleteI've gotten tons of excuses: vegetarians are too much at risk for anemia, you can't give when you have your period (no joke), etc.
Once, they said I was too thin and they had me see a nurse, who gave me a lecture and some cookies...
Hey p, that's too bad. Actually, I was a veggie for a long time, too. I have been rejected (in the past) for being underweight and being nearly anemic, also. I still just squeaked through this time. The iron cut-off is 12.6 and I was 12.9. Yow! Lots of leafy greens for me!
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