Blood Donation.To the Editor: I read your Editor's Note Editor's Note (foaled in 1993 in Kentucky) is an American thoroughbred Stallion racehorse. He was sired by 1992 U.S. Champion 2 YO Colt Forty Niner, who in turn was a son of Champion sire Mr. Prospector and out of the mare, Beware Of The Cat. Trained by D. regarding organ donation Organ donation is the removal of the tissues of the human body from a person who has recently died, or from a living donor, for the purpose of transplanting or grafting them into other persons. (February 2000) with interest, as I have made my wishes known that my organs should be donated upon my death. But why wait until death to be a role model? There are needed donations that can save countless lives and that can be done before death. I am speaking of blood, platelet platelet: see blood clotting. platelet or thrombocyte Small, colourless, irregular blood cell crucial in coagulation. Produced in bone marrow and stored in the spleen, platelets accumulate to block a cut in a blood vessel and provide , and bone marrow donations. I take time from my practice every other week to donate platelets Platelets Fragments of a large precursor cell (a megakaryocyte) found in the bone marrow. These fragments adhere to areas of blood vessel damage and release chemical signals that direct the formation of a blood clot. and once per year to donate whole blood. Through my blood bank, I joined the bone marrow registry. No, I do not have relatives or friends in need of these donations, but I have seen enough patients in my 20 years of practice to know my meager mea·ger also mea·gre adj. 1. Deficient in quantity, fullness, or extent; scanty. 2. Deficient in richness, fertility, or vigor; feeble: the meager soil of an eroded plain. 3. donations do help. As with organ donations, only a small percentage ([is less than] 5%) of the eligible populace (approximately 60% of the population) donates blood. Although only a few donate, more than 95% of the population will require blood or a blood product during their lifetimes. As health care professionals, we need to sign our donor cards donor card n. A card, usually carried on one's person, authorizing the use of one's bodily organs for transplantation in the event of one's death. and then tell those we love that we want our organs donated after we die. But let us also be role models while we are living, practicing (or retired) health care professionals: Get in the habit of making regular donations at your blood bank (and while that life-giving needle is in your arm, sign up with the bone marrow registry). Paul D Hansen, PT, PhD Fircrest Physical Therapy 1105 Regents Blvd, Suite C Fircrest, WA 98466 (FircrestPT@att.net) |
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