|
|
|
|
|
Volunteer Blood Donors Fill Red Cross Square
Written by Becky Orfinger, Staff Writer, RedCross.org
|
|
September 12, 2001 In response to Tuesday's terrorist attacks, hundreds of blood donors filled Red Cross Square in downtown Washington, D.C. Wednesday (Sept. 12) morning. From college students to military personnel, every volunteer had the same reason for being there: They simply wanted to help the victims of this terrible tragedy in any way they could.
|
|
"It's the first thing I wanted to do when I woke up this morning," said Maria McWilliams, who was one of the first people to donate today. McWilliams said that she had intended to donate blood earlier in the month when she heard an appeal on the radio, but hadn't found the time yet. This morning, she and three of her co-workers from the American Museum of the American Indian made blood donation a priority.
As of late Tuesday evening, the American Red Cross had shipped approximately 32,000 units of blood to the two Red Cross blood centers closest to New York City and Washington, D.C. The Red Cross has also transferred 40,000 units of albumin, a protein found in blood that is used to treat burn victims and other trauma patients. The American Red Cross national blood inventory system is structured so blood products collected at any of its 36 blood regions can be shipped to where it is needed most.
|
Dr. Bernadine Healy, president and CEO of the American Red Cross, thanks a blood donor waiting in line for his turn.
|
|
WKYS, a popular Washington, D.C., radio station, broadcast from the specially scheduled Red Cross blood drive at the organization's national headquarters Wednesday morning-one of several impromptu drives that will take place around the country in the coming days. According to a spokesperson for the station, the DJs have been encouraging would-be donors in the Washington area to call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE to schedule an appointment to donate. In addition, donors who came to this morning's Red Cross drive were treated to CDs and donuts courtesy of WKYS.
Despite their geographic distance from the disaster, blood donors in Alabama felt just as compelled to give blood yesterday, according to Keith Jordan, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross Alabama Blood Services Region. Jordan said the donor turnout was so large that two major television networks set up their mobile satellite trucks outside their donor center. Because of the long lines, Red Cross staff set up a large-screen television set so that waiting donors could keep up with the breaking news.
Expecting a large turnout of blood donors in the coming days, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted special permission to Red Cross national headquarters staff to do on-the-job training for physicians and nurses interested in volunteering to collect blood and conduct health history interviews. Five Red Cross blood specialists were designated to train volunteers to conduct interviews and three others trained volunteers to draw blood.
|
|
Many of the people waiting to donate blood at the Red Cross drive didn't seem to mind the wait. A large presence of students from George Washington and Georgetown Universities used the downtime to hit the books, and several clusters of people sat in circles trying to digest Tuesday's unthinkable events. American Red Cross President and CEO Dr. Bernadine Healy stopped by to thank blood donors and offer her support in this time of tragedy.
"You are all noble human beings," Dr. Healy told the hundreds of people gathered to give blood. "The Red Cross knows exactly what your donation means not just to the patients who will receive the blood, but to each and every one of you as well. This is what the Red Cross is all about enabling civilians to come in and help their fellow neighbors in time of need."
Ramesh Thadani, executive vice-president and CEO for American Red Cross Biomedical Services, also thanked donors for taking time out of their morning and waiting patiently to give the gift of life.
|
A Red Cross nurse takes this man's blood pressure as he waits to be seen by the health historian.
|
|
"Blood is a crisis resource, and there is no value that can be put on it," he said. "We thank you for supporting the role of the Red Cross, which is to ensure that we have adequate and safe supplies of blood to be used anywhere, anytime, for any patient."
|
|
|
|
|
