YARR - this be a public service announcement

Yep, I be a service-oriented pirate... lol

A few days ago, my library system's management update talked about an upcoming county sponsored blood drive.

It reminded me that it had been some time before I'd given blood. I've done whole blood donations lots of times, and apheresis (platelet) donation quite a few times. Platelet donations take a bit longer, but of course are quite valuable to cancer and leukemia patients, as well as hemophiliacs. My own dear father was a cancer survivor....so donating is just one way I choose to honor him.

Since I couldn't make the county blood drive, I decide to see when centers nearest me were open... it was high time I went back to donating.

My Red Cross

and you can search for centers near you. I also found out that there was a third type of donation I'd never heard of..... double red blood cell donation. It's similar to platelet donation in that they take blood and remove the component they're wanting -- be it platlet or red blood cell...and return the rest, plus some saline fluid back to the donor. They call it "Double reds", 'cause the donor donates 2 units of red blood cells in one donation. And those with types O+, O-, A-, and B- are needed for this special donation process.

The pirate librarian be type O+, so I felt a special obligation to inquire about it. When I called the red cross' 1-800#, I asked them -- which do ye need more -- double reds or apheresis? They said double reds...so I did it on my day off. The only "problem" is I can't donate for 112 days. Ah well...


Anyway, if ye be healthy enough... be one of the few and proud that gives the gift of life and donates blood! Ye never know when you, or someone you love, may need it.

YAR!