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| Vol. 22, No. 22 |
| December 1, 2000 |
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FROM THE PRESIDENT With the holiday season in full swing, many of us are decorating our homes, making travel plans, and shopping to find the perfect gifts for our loved ones. But it is at this time that we should consider giving the most valuable gift of all - blood, the "Gift of Life." The need for blood never takes a holiday, but unfortunately, it is during the holiday season that blood donations begin to decline. The holiday period between now and the end of January is a tremendous challenge for blood banks around the country - Houston is no exception. With everyone caught up in holiday travel, family gatherings, shopping, etc., donating blood takes a lower place on the list of priorities. An adequate blood supply for the 21 counties served by the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center requires the collection of 700 units of blood each and every day of the year. During this year's Christmas and New Year's holidays, there are two four-day weekends, which means the community blood supply will be short approximately 5,000 units of blood. Most blood collected comes from church- and business-sponsored blood drives. However, other priorities during the holiday season, coupled with lower attendance at businesses, means fewer blood donations. High schools and universities also have strong blood donor programs for their faculty and students during the traditional school year. But they, too, are not in session during most of December and January and, therefore, don't sponsor blood drives for about five weeks. Eighty percent of the blood collected by the Blood Center comes from mobile blood drives sponsored by these churches, businesses and schools. During the holidays, however, there is an increased and constant need for blood because of an increase in travel and automobile accidents, crime-related injuries and organ transplant surgeries that are due to an increased availability of organs at this time. The potential blood shortages during the holiday season are a national problem, not just a local one. If the Blood Center's stock levels of blood run low during this time period, it is difficult to receive help from other blood centers. It is for these reasons that I urge you to donate blood this holiday season. You've probably heard the popular saying, "Practice random acts of kindness." Donating blood that could help save the life of someone you haven't met is the ultimate act of kindness. Between all the shopping and partying, take time to be a holiday hero - someone who makes time to donate blood when donations decline on or around the holidays.
©2006 Texas Medical Center E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/12_01_00/page_19.html |