Lifeblood

It's funny how we take the very thing that sustains us for granted. It runs in our veins and we never seem to take notice of it until we need someone else's. Someone else's blood that is. And we have to scramble all over trying to find a suitable donor.

I wish I could give blood. My blood type pa naman is the universal donor type. That means that I can give my blood to people with other blood types. The downside is that I could only receive blood of the same type as mine. I could give to anybody but I could only receive from a select few. IF I could give blood. The biggest hindering factor would be that I weigh less than 100 lbs. (But I don't know after the holiday feasting)

The father of a friend of mine urgently needs several bags of O+ blood. And all the blood banks seem to have run out of it. If you are capable and healthy enough to donate blood, please do so. Some people are in dire need of it. You never know whose life you may save.

Some facts about our blood. Taken from a Red Cross site. More info here.

• Almost 40% of the population has O+ blood
  
• Patients with Type O blood must receive Type O blood
  
• About half of all blood ordered by hospitals is Type O
  
• Type O blood is the universal blood type and is the only blood type that can be transfused to patients with other blood types
  
• Only about 7% of all people have Type O negative blood
  
• Type O negative blood is the preferred type for accident victims and babies needing exchange transfusions
  
• There is always a need for Type O donors because their blood may be transfused to a person of any blood type in an emergency

Please donate.