Blood Donations

“I am serious in asking the
following question. The
question comes to mind
because of the burns that
Pedxing (David Vogel) has
suffered. I respect the vast
knowledge that I see expressed
here. I know some of you can
provide an answer.

Question:
As a blood donar, I remember
that we used to be able to
direct our blood donation to
offset the expense of an
individual patient. The donation
did not cover all the expenses
in regard to the blood needed
by the patient but I remember
it was a big help. Your blood
did not have to match the
patient's in this regard. Hey, I
know it has to match when you
are talking about life saving.

I want to know if this policy is
still in effect with the Red Cross
and if it can be done across
state lines. If this is still in
effect maybe this is one way
that we can help Pedxing and
his family.”

“I can't answer that question but I think this is a wonderful idea.”

“me too! especially since I have O negative blood.”

“I know that you can donate specifically for a patient (like a family member prior to their surgery) if your type matches, but I'm not sure about your specific question. I seem to recall the same thing as you though. I'm sure the local Red Cross office or maybe their web site will tell.”

“In Massachusetts you can donate
for a specific person. The blood
can be used for any one. But your
donation counts for that person
involved. The red cross used this
system for the victims of 911.”

“From www.redcross.org at the FAQ page.

Can I direct my blood donation to an individual?
Patients scheduled for surgery may be eligible to donate blood for themselves in the weeks before non-emergency surgery in a process known as autologous donation. If an autologous donation is not used, it is discarded. Family members and friends can also make directed donations. Directed donations are fully tested, so if they are not used by the intended patient, they can be released for use by other patients.”

“I don't know how the rules would
work for a local hospital and its'
needs.”

“Let's not be negative now, twigeater!

8^]”

“I'm sorry, I have no control!

o(=D”