Bloodmobile drive begins this week

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD -- A quota of 440 pints of blood is what the Brown-West Nicollet Chapter of the American Red Cross is expecting from local donors in its annual blood drive this year.

Brown-West Nicollet Red Cross Chapter Volunteer Coordinator Sue Sutton said she expects lower turnouts this week than the last blood drive, held in in New Ulm on Sept. 19. In that drive, 550 people donated 470 pints of blood. There are only 325 people scheduled for this week in all three locations.

"I don't know how it's going to go, but I'm anxious to see it. It was unbelievable in September," Sutton said.

During the week following the Sept. 11 events, there were several other smaller drives that had taken the pressure off New Ulm. One drive in Mankato lasted until midnight. Sutton said she saw a similar rush on blood donations during the Gulf War.

"It was overwhelming," Sutton remembered.

The blood collected in this area's drive goes to the North Central Blood Services in St. Paul, which collects and distributes blood in 104 counties in Minnesota, western Wisconsin, northern Iowa and eastern South Dakota. The service operates about 300 bloodmobiles each month.

And with each Bloodmobile comes Red Cross volunteers. Locally, the effort takes about 135 people to accomplish all the tasks surrounding blood donation.

"It's a big community effort," Sutton said .

That community effort starts today at the Springfield Community Center, at 33 S. Cass Ave. at 1 p.m. and will continue until 7 p.m.

It will work its way east to Sleepy Eye tomorrow. It will set up at the Orchid Inn, 500 Burnside St. SE, beginning and ending at the same times as in Springfield.

The Bloodmobile comes to Turner Hall in New Ulm on Wednesday, starts at 1 p.m., ends at 7 p.m. each night and runs through Thursday. It is also scheduled for Turner Hall from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday.

In order to donate blood, a person must meet the following requirements:

* Blood pressure can't be above 180/100. Donors who use blood pressure medication are eligible to give.

* Must be feeling well and not on prescription medication for infection. Donors are eligible the third day after the last dose of an antibiotic. Mild nasal stuffiness, a dry cough or allergies are not cause for deferral.

* Have no history of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.

* Have no cancer treatment like chemotherapy within five years.

* Persons with diabetes can donate if the disease is controlled by diet, oral medication or insulin as long as the donor has been on insulin for two weeks.

* Persons who have had heart attacks are acceptable after six months if they have no restrictions on physical activities, aren't using medications for heart disease other than aspirin.

* Have not had viral hepatitis or yellow jaundice on or after age 11.

* Have received flu shots, but is symptom-free. Those who have received the MMR shot must wait 28 days.

* Have not had malaria symptoms for the past three years.

* Must feel well, have fully recovered from surgery and resumes normal physical activity.

* Have not had a blood transfusion in the past 12 months.

* Have waited one year after receiving a tattoo. Body piercings require evaluation by a Red Cross nurse.

For more information, call the Brown-West Nicollet Red Cross Chapter at (507) 233-1111.