Southland lacks blood donors

By Jimmy Chai, On-Line Forty-Niner

Wednesday, November 11, 1998

The Cal State Long Beach blood drive, sponsored by Associated Students Inc. and held every semester, comes at an opportune time as blood supplies have reached low levels, said Linda Sherwood, coordinator of the campus event.

The three-day event, which will conclude Thursday, adds to the American Red Cross inventory - which handles a majority of the blood supply in Southern California.

This past summer, the Southern California blood supply was at emergency levels, said Mary Leahy, field representative for donor resource development, an American Red Cross blood service. Many hospitals, such as UCLA's hospital, had to cancel surgery due to the low levels.

UCLA was not available for comment.

Currently, the supply for O positive blood meets only 38 percent of the demand in Southern California and O negative, the universal donor blood that can be used with any other blood type, meets only 14 percent, said Julie Juliusson, communications specialist for the American Red Cross.

"Los Angeles and Orange County have the lowest donor turnout in the nation," Juliusson said. "Forty percent [of the blood used in Southern California] is imported."

The Red Cross services more than 160 hospitals throughout Southern California, from San Diego to Ventura counties.

However, Juliusson said in Saint Louis, out of 1,000 eligible donors, 117 donate. In Los Angeles and surrounding counties, out of 1,000 eligible donors, approximately 30 people donate.

Three to four percent of those eligible donate in Southern California, Leahy said. And nationally, according to American Association of Blood Banks, "less than five percent of healthy Americans eligible to donate blood actually donate each year."

CSULB is trying to get people to come out and donate blood to help those in need, Sherwood said.

"Every drop of blood can save a life," Sherwood said. "We are that low."

The campus drive, which has been on campus for approximately eight years, is held in the Multipurpose Room in the University Student Union.

The initial criteria to be a blood donor is the person must be more than 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds. Then if the prospective donor passes a series of filter questions, the transfer of blood will take approximately five to 10 minutes, Sherwood said.

However, turnout for the drive appears lackluster.

Shelly Beedle, a health science major, attended the drive as a class assignment for a health science course. Others attended for the same reason.

Southern Californians are not motivated to donate blood possible due to their busy life style, Juliusson said.

Also, many people such as Alison Raglin, who is low on iron, and Eddie Arellano, who has been taking medication, have not been able to donate blood due to long or short-term ailments.

Prospective donors can be deferred for many reasons, such as a year-old tattoo or recent vacation out of the country, Leahy said. That is why there is a need for more donors.

Many people do not donate because of the fear of pain and viral infection, Sherwood said. But that is a misconception.

"We are trying to educate people on the myths and services attached to blood donation," Leahy said. "Through technology, one unit [one pint] of blood can break into four parts."