Hello, AF members. I have a huge favor to ask, a do-gooder pain-in-the-ass plea. I know we're (people in general) bombarded with this shit all the time, but I'd really like to borrow about 2.5 hours of your time, if you've got it to give.
So, my mom is very, very sick. Tumors have overtaken her bone marrow to the point where she can't make platelets. Platelet transfusions are going to be a huge part of her treatment. She won't even be able to try chemo without them. Because of this, and my interest in blood donations before this nightmare, I've learned that platelets have a short shelf life. They're only good for five days. They go from you to a patient and that's that. The medical community needs a constant supply of them to keep leukemia and cancer patients alive-literally constant. It takes a couple of hours to donate, so not a lot of people do it. Well, a lot of people need it.
No one can donate straight to my mom. That's just not how it works. Even I can't do that. However, I've been asking everyone to do a good thing for a great lady and make a donation for my Ma-Joy. It will go to someone like her. Children's hospitals often have their own donation centers if you'd prefer to help a kiddo specifically. If you don't have time, maybe consider a whole blood or power blood donation?
I'd really appreciate it. If you do it, post a picture in here. Get all the kudos for a deed well done. I'll even promise a rep point to every donor. Hold me to it, k?
If enough of us do this, we could do like a yearly virtual blood drive where we all donate near ourselves and post photos here for the sweet, sweet kudos. I don't know.
So, my mom is very, very sick. Tumors have overtaken her bone marrow to the point where she can't make platelets. Platelet transfusions are going to be a huge part of her treatment. She won't even be able to try chemo without them. Because of this, and my interest in blood donations before this nightmare, I've learned that platelets have a short shelf life. They're only good for five days. They go from you to a patient and that's that. The medical community needs a constant supply of them to keep leukemia and cancer patients alive-literally constant. It takes a couple of hours to donate, so not a lot of people do it. Well, a lot of people need it.
No one can donate straight to my mom. That's just not how it works. Even I can't do that. However, I've been asking everyone to do a good thing for a great lady and make a donation for my Ma-Joy. It will go to someone like her. Children's hospitals often have their own donation centers if you'd prefer to help a kiddo specifically. If you don't have time, maybe consider a whole blood or power blood donation?
I'd really appreciate it. If you do it, post a picture in here. Get all the kudos for a deed well done. I'll even promise a rep point to every donor. Hold me to it, k?
If enough of us do this, we could do like a yearly virtual blood drive where we all donate near ourselves and post photos here for the sweet, sweet kudos. I don't know.
