Naval Hospital Bremerton (NHB) staff lined up to donate their needed blood at a blood drive coordinated with the Armed Services Blood Bank Center (ASBBC) on the NHB quarterdeck Feb. 17.

“I donate blood to help out people in need. Since you don’t know who your blood is going to, you might end up saving a close relative or a friend without knowing it,” said NHB Laboratory Technician Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Roberto Mangahas.

As NHB’s first blood drive of this year, it comes at a time when traditionally it has been difficult to get donors.

“Our schedule of blood drives for the most part reflect the required 56 days between donations for donors,” said NHB Laboratory Blood Bank Supervisor Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Michael Mathis and blood drive coordinator. “Usually this time of year, people are on leave or have a cold and it’s difficult to motivate eligible donors to just come by and donate a unit.”

According to Mathis, 34 units were collected to help support ASBBC’s mission to supply blood and components such as red blood cells, Cryoprecipitate, and fresh frozen plasma for contingency operations overseas. “Our donors are contributing directly to the welfare of deployed troops in Afghanistan,” he said. 

“A blood bank can go through a lot of blood,” said NHB Laboratory Technician Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Chris Odell after donating a unit.  “Blood and the components are expensive so it’s nice to know they don’t have to spend that money because of blood donors.”

“The blood and components we use at NHB comes from ASBBC,” Mathis said.

“The more we can give in donations to help meet the needed quota in turn help us out. We can replenish our blood supply on our shelves without having to buy units.”

For example, the cost savings per unit of red blood cells (RBC) received from blood donors is $250.  With the 525 units collected at NHB between Dec. 2008 and Dec. 2010, the cost saving from RBC units alone total $131,250.

Constantly trying to match or surpass the peak of 61 units collected during the Apr. 2009 drive at NHB, Mathis is always trying to encourage his fellow staff members to give blood.

“People need to know that their blood makes a difference,” said Mathis.  “I’ve seen it firsthand when I was at the donor center in San Diego. A previous patient walked in and personally thanked everyone there saying, ‘If it wasn’t for people like you who take time out of their day to donate blood, I wouldn’t be here today.’”

The constant need for blood donations is not exclusive to NHB, noted U.S. Army Reservist Sgt. Luis Padilla, licensed practical nurse collecting blood with ASBBC.

“When I was deployed to Bosnia, we never had enough blood,” Padilla said.

“Working at the VA hospital in San Antonio, we never had enough blood there. When my reserve unit sent me on this mission, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for me to see why we can’t get enough blood.  The key to increasing the amount of people to donate is through education and shared experience,” he said.

“For many people, giving blood is a personal thing for them,” continued Padilla. “If they talk about their experience to their friends and get a buddy to donate with them, or even to donate for them if they have a condition that defers them from giving blood such as traveling to Europe then that would get more people donating. Especially the young people, if they see their buddy doing something like getting tattoos, then they’re going to want do it, too.”

“If you’re on the fence about donating, just go for it,” added Odell.  “It doesn’t take long at all, and you’re doing a lot of good with it.”