Photo By Jonathan Davis | January is National Blood Donor Month, and the ASBP is thankful for all of our donors...... read more read more
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National Blood Donor Month, established by a presidential proclamation in 1969, was created to address blood shortages during the winter season and to thank donors who have supported the Nation’s blood programs throughout the year. With January being National Blood Donor Month, the Armed Services Blood Program would like to express its gratitude for all its supporters while also calling attention to the need for more donors.
Historically, the number of donations drops during the holiday and winter season compared to the rest of the year. This decrease in donations is caused by several factors: people take leave, vacations are planned, schedules change, weather conditions impede, and/or illness keep people home. When these factors are combined, less donors are available but the need for blood remains the same.
“National Blood Donor Month is a great time to stop and say thank you to the tens of thousands of ASBP blood donors who supported their military family in 2022,” remarked ASBP Division Chief Navy Capt. Les Riggs. “These donors made an immediate impact for our service members, their families, retirees, and veterans worldwide in need with lifesaving blood products. Blood supply is a readiness mission; a global mission. We are grateful for that incredible impact they play in the mission; a mission that continues into 2023 as well.”
ASBP donors understand how critical donations are for our military community, and their dedication to the mission places them at the ‘heart’ of the program. One such donor is Ruth Stevick who recently reached her 450th platelet donation while at the Armed Services Blood Bank Center – Pacific Northwest (ASBBC-PNW); an incredible commitment both in time and in lifesaving donations. Another is donor and blood drive coordinator HM2 Samantha Lane is with the Medical Office of Assault Craft Unit One and donates with the ASBP’s Naval Medical Center San Diego Blood Donor Center. Lane has continually donated blood for the past decade while also coordinating blood drives. She is driven by the personal impact donations made on a young family member who needed blood products.
The donations provided by these ASBP lifesavers are used as a critical tool for saving lives and also for treating various conditions. Blood products can be used to treat the warfighter far forward in battle for emergency use, wherever they are, as well as for scheduled surgeries at a military treatment facility. A single trauma victim can require dozens of units of blood, and one unit of blood can support the life of a newborn for two weeks.
Though service members are the largest group of donors for the ASBP, one does not have to be in the military to donate blood with the ASBP; military family members, government employees, veterans and others regularly support the program.
"Blood donation is the gift of life. As health care providers, blood donors, and recipients, it's up to us to talk about the importance of blood donation and donate when we can,” said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Gragg, senior enlisted leader for the Defense Health Agency. “All the medical expertise in the
world doesn't matter if we don't have the necessary tools for the task, and one of the most vital tools we have is blood."
And donating with the ASBP has gotten easier as a major travel deferral was fully lifted in 2022: the restriction for Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), commonly referred to as ‘Mad Cow’ disease. This deferral affected many within the military community who are or were stationed in Europe. Those previously affected may have the chance to donate once again or for the first time!
The ASBP is thankful for all of our donors and volunteers for living, giving, and saving lives in 2022. Join the ASBP in celebrating National Blood Donor Month by scheduling a donation today at https://www.militaryblood.dod.mil.
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About the Armed Services Blood Program
Since 1962, the Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP) is the official blood program of the United States military. The ASBP mission is to provide quality blood products and support to military health care operations worldwide; from the battlefield to the local hospital, whenever and wherever needed. The ASBP collects, processes, stores, transports, and distributes blood products to service members, their families, retirees and veterans in peace and war. In an ASBP Enterprise view – Military Health Affairs, Defense Health Agency, Service Blood Programs and Combatant Commands – we operate under common goals, metrics, procedures, and work together to shape the future.
The ASBP is one of four organizations tasked with providing a safe blood supply to the nation. Our program also works closely with our civilian counterparts in times of need.
To find out more about the ASBP or schedule an appointment to donate, please visit www.militaryblood.dod.mil. To interact directly with ASBP staff members or get the latest news, follow us @militaryblood on Facebook, Twitter and @usmilitaryblood on Instagram.
| Date Taken: | 01.03.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 01.05.2023 09:19 |
| Story ID: | 436205 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 137 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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