The next round of blood drives for Hawaii Island are Jan. 23 through 25 in Hilo. Blood drives will return to the island’s west side in March. For more information or to make an appointment to donate blood, call the
BY MELORA PURELL
SPECIAL TO WEST HAWAII TODAY
Blood cannot be manufactured, it can only be made inside the human body.
“Giving blood is really a gift of a living part of yourself,” said Sheri Yanagida, field representative for the Blood Bank of Hawaii.
What makes people willing to give a living part of themselves to a stranger? People believe it’s the right thing to do, or they personally know someone who needed blood, she said.
Hawaii Island’s blood supply comes from volunteer, and depends on a nonprofit organization, the Blood Bank of Hawaii, to safely move the blood from donors to recipients.
The demand for blood in Hawaii — more than 7,000 gallons a year is needed — is met by the 2 percent of the population that donates blood, Yanagida said, adding the typical volunteer donates once or twice a year.
The blood donation process takes about an hour, starting with a short physical exam and interview to determine if any risk factors are present. Then the volunteer lies down and a new, sterile needle is inserted into a vein. It usually takes less than 15 minutes for a pint of blood to be extracted into a sterile plastic bag. The donor then rests, drinks liquids and has a snack at the site.
Part of the work of the Blood Bank of Hawaii is to recruit volunteers.
“We don’t want any one volunteer to feel the burden, so we are always seeking out new donors,” Yanagida said.
The main deterrent for new donors is a fear of the needle, she said. Donors receive the benefit of a free physical exam, and they learn their blood type, but most of the perks are intangible, she added.
Some donors are driven by the need to give back, especially when it involves family.
LeAnn Ganley, 44, of Honokaa remembers the blood transfusions her mother-in-law needed when she was sick, and shares her experience with her kids, so they can learn about blood donation.
Waimea resident Ken Block, 70, has been donating blood for most of his life, and tries to donate at least once a year. He reflected on the reciprocal relationship of blood donation, understanding that it might be him, someday, that needs blood.
At a recent Waimea blood drive, volunteer donors patiently waited while their blood was being drawn. Others, sporting “Be nice to me — I donated blood” stickers, sipped soup and ate grilled cheese sandwiches, cookies and donuts.
When the Blood Bank was looking for a permanent Waimea blood drive site three years ago, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offered its community hall, said blood drive organizer Waikoloa resident 66-year-old Ruth Liwai.
“We thought it would be nice to serve something besides cookies, so we got the ladies at church organized to make homemade soup and sandwiches,” Liwai said.
Waimea resident Kevin Painton, 48, said he donates at least four times a year. The homemade food was a strong motivation to keep his blood donation appointment, he added.
The church holds four blood drives a year; the next drive is March 13.
After donating a pint of blood, it takes the body six weeks to replace the red blood cells, three days to replace the plasma and proteins, and just a day to replenish the fluid, said Dr. Randal Covin, Blood Bank of Hawaii associate medical director.
The donated blood is sent off to a lab to undergo a battery of 13 different tests required by the Food and Drug Administration, which licenses whole blood as a pharmaceutical product, he said. This ensures the safety of the blood that is then returned to the state within two days of donation.
The blood is divided into three components: red blood cells, platelets and plasma. Each component has the potential to help a different patient. A single donation can save up to three lives, Yanagida said.
Blood donations help people of all ages and walks of life, including those undergoing open-heart surgery, organ transplant recipients, trauma patients and mothers and babies during delivery, Covin said.
Each medical facility keeps its own inventory of blood, said Robyn Kainoa of Clinical Labs of Hawaii, who oversees the blood supply for North Hawaii Community Hospital. All blood types are kept in stock, and the blood is rotated every week, with older blood sent back to Honolulu to be used at sites with a more immediate need, Kainoa added.
Red blood cells last for about 35 days under refrigeration, plasma (the liquid part of the blood) is kept frozen, but platelets (the part of blood that allows it to clot) have a shelf life of less than five days. If a patient needs platelets, the hospital will have to order that from the Blood Bank, and pick it up from the Kona International Airport, she said.
Being dependent upon one organization to manage the blood supply for the whole state makes sense to Kainoa.
“The quality standards are so high,” she said.
The Blood Bank of Hawaii comes for site visits, and checks the facility and all of the records.
“They are a well-oiled machine. It’s good to have one organization that we can depend on,” Kainoa added.
What needs to be done to improve the blood supply?
“It would be great to get more volunteers,” she said.
The next round of blood drives for Hawaii Island are Jan. 23 through 25 in Hilo. Blood drives will return to the island’s west side in March. For more information or to make an appointment to donate blood, call the Blood Bank of Hawaii at 845-9966 or visit bbh.org. Information on organizing blood drives in Kona should be directed to Yanagida, syanagida@bbh.org or 848-4719.
