MATT HEISTAND

Bobby Leon, a Red Cross employee, seals and packages blood units donated yesterday afternoon at Bear Down Gym. The Red Cross will look to the UA community to alleviate blood shortages throughout the year.

Thursday August 30, 2001 |

Organization looks to UA community for help in avoiding a blood shortage

Elizabeth Eaken, a chemistry graduate student, donated blood for the first time yesterday afternoon, and as far as she was concerned, a little discomfort was worth it for the cause.

Eaken was one of nearly 75 people who turned out to donate at Bear Down Gym. The drive, a collaborative effort between the American Red Cross and the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, was the first of many drives the Red Cross intends to conduct this year.

"It was really quick," she said while drinking soda to help stabilize her blood sugar. "It's more of a visual discomfort than anything else. Once you get past that, it's fine."

Eaken found out about the drive through an e-mail from the chemistry department, and said she felt the need to respond.

"Blood banks are always short on blood," she said.

Lynn Lee, a manager for the American Red Cross, said finding enough blood is an ongoing struggle.

"We're looking for volume," Lee said, citing 97 percent of people need blood from banks and only 5 percent of people donate.

Lee said the need for blood has encouraged the Red Cross to continue taking an active role in increasing awareness about the blood shortages, especially on campus.

The organization, which visits the UA approximately once a month during the school year, hopes to increase donations from 3,000 pints to 10,000 pints a year.

Lee said the organization considers the university community vital to its blood drive success.

That role will increase when Points for Pints, an NCAA blood drive competition between 20 schools, begins in November.

Susan Burke, a physics graduate student and regular blood donor, described the donating process as easy, quick and very straightforward.

Burke, who has given blood 10 to 15 times, said because of the desperate need for blood, everyone needs to be pro-active.

Sally Yabarra, a charge nurse for the Red Cross, said the actual process of taking blood only takes five to 10 minutes.

Yabarra advises donors to drink plenty of fluids before and after giving blood - especially in the hot summer months - due to the loss of fluid the body experiences.

She also tells them to lower their activity for 24 hours to avoid bruising themselves in the area where the blood has been removed.

The entire time to donate, including filling out paperwork and having the iron level and blood pressure checked, takes 45 minutes to an hour, Lee said.

Lee said she hopes the university remains one of the organization's main focuses in alleviating blood shortages.

"Its just a matter of getting people educated," Lee said. "We believe students and the university community as whole will continue to be supportive of the cause."