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April 24, 2008
ANCHORAGE WOMAN CONQUERS CANCER WITH HELP OF BLOOD DONORS
Sharen had a nagging feeling something was wrong. It
started with a ski trip in Montana where she could not catch
her breath.
"I thought it was the altitude," said Sharen. But
after returning home to Anchorage, her symptoms increased.
continue
April 9, 2008
ANCHORAGE TEEN SAVES LIVES PINT BY PINT
Anchorage West High junior Jordan Elliott seems like
an ordinary teen. He plays football, serves on student government
and enjoys spending time with friends. But for over 2 years,
Elliott’s been busy saving countless lives across the
state. Elliott is a volunteer community coordinator for the
Alaska High School Challenge. In this statewide Blood Bank of
Alaska program schools compete to recruit donors over the course
of the academic year.
"I have a lot of great motivated kids helping me. They
went out into the classes, talked to all their friends saying,
‘Hey, come donate,’" Elliott said.
In its class division, West has offered stiff competition to
South High School this year, due largely to Elliott’s
efforts. The rivalry is further fueled by irony, since Elliott
transferred from South this year. “It’s a huge change,
but I feel a lot more comfortable over here at West. I have
a lot more friends who are like me, speaking two languages,”
Elliott said.
One drive he coordinated yielded 91 donors, almost 3 times the
usual amount for a high school drive. “I was impressed,”
Elliott said. “A lot of kids I know came and then got
scared, but a lot of kids who had never really thought about
it just came and donated.”
Elliott’s commitment to blood donation is even more poignant
given that he is among the less than 7 percent of Americans
who can donate blood for infants.
His blood type is O negative. But more importantly he is negative
for CMV, which many people in the United States carry. CMV is
a virus that can be deadly to infants, but usually produces
few if any symptoms in adults. Blood transfused to infants must
be both CMV negative and O negative.
“I donate
every 8 weeks,” he said. And Elliott intends to continue
his life of service. “I’m planning on joining the
Marines,” Elliott said. “From there, we’ll
see.”
West High will host its last drive for the 2007-2008 school
year, April 10-11.
April 5, 2008
THE GREATEST GIFT TO THE SMALLEST RECIPIENT
It was a busy summer for the Moore family of Soldotna. As the
due date for Sonja and Rusty’s third son approached, they
kept busy with a trip to Florida, camping and soccer games.
But then the pain started. Doctors’ released Sonja from
the hospital after a week, unable to pinpoint the problem...
continue
April 3, 2008
What is the life of an infant worth?
This April, Blood Bank of Alaska extends a heartfelt
thank you to the donors who routinely give their time and blood
to save the newest and most fragile Alaskan lives. The adult
donors who give for baby transfusions are very special. A baby’s
blood type is often unknown. In an emergency, there’s
no time to test for type, so baby blood donors must be the universal
donor – O negative. Baby blood donors must also be negative
for the virus CMV, which many people in the United States carry.
While the virus usually produces either mild symptoms or no
symptoms in adults, it can be deadly to infants. There are approximately
500 current baby blood donors registered with the Blood Bank
of Alaska. Some baby blood donors take turns being on-call to
give blood, rushing to donate at a moment’s notice to
provide an infant with their LIFE-saving gift. Baby blood donors
do not choose their blood type. They do not choose to be CMV
negative. But they do choose to save lives – Blood Bank
of Alaska thanks them for caring.
April 2, 2008
KENAI FAMILY’S HAPPIEST DAY BECOMES THEIR DARKEST
HOUR
As Terie and Mike Loomis neared the due date for the delivery
of their fifth baby, they prepared for what was supposed to
be one of the happiest days of their lives... continue
April 1, 2008
Give 4 times this year & become a HERO donor
Can you make a commitment to give blood at least 4 times this
year? Four times in 2008 is all it takes to become a member
of the 2009 HERO Program!
It's easy to do and you'll become a member of an exclusive club
in which you'll be eligible for bi-weekly drawings, prizes,
and receive HERO points to redeem for exclusive HERO merchandise!
Now is a great time to start if you haven't already and all
you will need is a minimum of 4 donations to be eligible for
the 2009 HERO program. Here's how:
• Donate Whole Blood 4 times
(56 days in between donations)
• Become an ALYX donor and give
double reds 2 times (112 days in between donations)
• Become a TRIMA donor and give platelets
4 times (as often as 1 time per week up to 24 times per year)
Don't be left out - call today to make your next LIFEsaving
appointment or stop by and visit any Blood Bank of Alaska center
or mobile blood
drive in your neighborhood!
Take the HERO Snapshot Challenge - Earn
25 Extra HERO Points!
The rules are simple and open to all HERO blood donors! Be creative
with your ideas and have fun! Photos will be put on display
at your local community blood center as well posted on the Blood
Bank of Alaska website! Find
out more…
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