April 14th, 2008
“Platelets… you don’t get them down at Tesco”
Thanks to Jazz Biscuit who today took time out from making us laugh to post a video about Platelet Donation. Having received a lot of blood and platelet transfusions during chemotherapy, I used to do a lot of press stuff for the IBTS to raise awareness about platelets. Everyone knows about giving blood, but very few people seem to know what platelet donations are. One of the interviews I did was with Gerry Ryan on his 2FM show who, taking a populist and very effective approach to elicit what they are, enquired: “Platelets… you don’t get them down at Tesco, do you?”
To put it in perspective, there are less than 1,500 people on the Platelet Donor Register for the whole of Ireland, and yet platelets only have a shelf life of five days. I remember people being phoned to come in and donate for me, and being told by doctors that platelet supplies are always critically low. I’m even more aware of this as next week, my mam is about to start six months of intensive chemo, and cancer sufferers are one of the biggest groups who benefit from platelet donation (so do surgery patients and mothers and babies in neo natal units).
Last week my brother donated blood, and a colleague of my dad mentioned that apparently blood donations are quite low at the moment (she had gotten three texts about coming in to donate).
So, if you feel like doing a good deed, give the IBTS a call on 01 432 2800.
Link: IBTS
April 14th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Hope all goes well with your mum in the coming weeks - she sounds like a real trooper; I’m keeping everything crossed for her. Just checked too and I’m eligible to give blood again(I couldn’t after I had an operation), so thanks for the heads up on that.
Hope you’re taking good care of yourself too! xx
April 14th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I’ve called the IBTS info line to arrange to be a platelet donor. If you’ve given blood in Ireland before, it’s really easy: they sample your blood and then book you in for an hour.
If you’ve not given before (which I have not in Ireland) then you need to be a standard blood donor before. So, that means a sample for whole blood, and then donating a pint; then a sample for platelets, and then an hour for the whirlygig machine. This is spaced over a few weeks but once you’re in as a platelet donor, you’re in.
Did you know that when you donate platelets you get your blood back?? How cool is that?!?!
April 15th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Tanya, thank you.
Sabrina - fair play to you, that’s great news. Did you know that the majority of platelet donors are men? They have thicker veins and make better donation candidates apparently.
April 17th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Never knew about that. I’ll sign up.
April 18th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Ah, if only one could. Alas, they still don’t want the gays’ blood.