I vant to suck your...

I'm sure all of my readers already know about this issue, but I'll pitch in with my own plea.

I receive frequent phone calls from my local Red Cross (Chesapeake Region) about their critically low inventories of blood and platelets. Ironically, during the supposed 'season of giving', this problem has become even more acute; I imagine because many donors may be on vacation or otherwise occupied. In my region, some blood types have less than a day of supply left, and are falling behind seriously in the donation department. A week or two ago, I received a call that they had two units of platelets left for the entire region - hardly enough for day-to-day medicine, let alone coping with emergencies.

So, I urge you - wherever you are - go donate some blood. I personally donate platelets instead (my blood type is AB+, so whole blood is of extremely limited use, but apheresis donations are exactly what they're looking for), but the point is that you should donate something. It's not hard to do - donating blood takes much less than an hour, and platelets only about two hours - and anyone who's healthy probably won't feel any ill effects besides a touch of orthostatic intolerance. You can donate blood every 8 weeks, and platelets every two weeks. It takes little effort, and it's well worth it. Heck, many Red Cross regions now have incentive programs set up for frequent donors! You might even make a profit. (One downside is that you get a ridiculous number of T-shirts and postcards...)

The blood won't go to waste: it will be used to save people's lives, every day (generally used in surgery or trauma cases). How much easier could it be to make such an important impact? Think of it as storing up some good karma - after all, if you (or a family member) needs a transfusion someday, wouldn't you prefer there to be a ready supply?

Please. Make me happy. I'll be your best friend.