With summer just around the corner, it is the time of the year when vacations and summer schedules interrupt our schedules, and a time blood donation can also slow down. Paula Dayton,  donor recruitment coordinator for the DeGowin Blood Center, http://www.uihealthcare.com/depts/degowinbloodcenter/ located in University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, talks about the need for blood donors during the summer:

Do donations typically slow down during the summer months?

Yes, they do. People are busy with vacations and other activities and donating blood is just not on the top of people’s minds. Schools are not in session and we rely on our students both in the high schools and colleges so those numbers decrease also.

Does the need for blood decrease in the summer months?

No it doesn’t, in fact the need increases. In addition to all the usual procedures that require blood, we see an increase in need due to traumas, like motorcycle, and motor vehicle accidents. We saw evidence of this even before the Memorial Holiday weekend. Some victims can require large amounts of blood depending on the severity of their injuries.

Who can donate?

If you are 17 years of age or older and in general good health, you are eligible to be a blood donor. If you are 16 you can donate but you must have an approved DeGowin consent form signed by your parent or legal guardian. There is no upper age limit, however after your 71 birthday, we ask questions about your health and travel history and do a brief physical to determine if you are eligible. The whole process from when you walk in the door until you have refreshments, take about one hour.

Does DeGowin offer and incentive for people to donate during the summer months?

Yes, in the summer we like to thank those who come and help us out during this crucial time.  Each summer, during June July and August, we feature a summer T-shirt. This years T-shirt is “What Can You Do?”  

It features some instances of lives saved by DeGowin Blood Donors and asks the questions, “What can you do?” to help. We have two color this year, blue and prairie dust. It you would like to view the shirt, go to our Web page or stop by the DeGowin Blood Center at UI Hospitals and Clinics.

June 14 is designated as World Blood donors Day. Is the DeGowin Blood Center participating in that event? How?

Yes we are. We will have a display in the main lobby of the hospital featuring some facts about the need for blood donations on local as well as on a global level. This information will also appear on the hospital screen savers beginning June 9 and run through the 14.  We plan to raffle some bags from Kenya as a special promotion to emphasis the global need. Each T-shirt will have a sticker thanking donors for donating that day with some of those same statistics.

Tell us how people can get involved at the day’s event.

Well first and foremost, you can sign up to be a blood or automated donor. Not just for that day, but make a commitment to help whenever you can. We will host a blood drive in Oxford that day with the Hand’s of Christ Worship Center, so you can give at that blood drive or at the DeGowin Blood Center in the hospital. 

We want to raise awareness of the great need for blood worldwide. There are 80 million blood donations every year, but only 38 percent is collected in developing countries where 82 percent of the population lives.  More than 39,000 units of blood are need every day in the United States and here at UI Hospitals and Clinics, an average of 80 blood products are needed every day. Last year DeGowin transfused 28, 554 blood products.

When someone donates at the DeGowin Blood Center, does their blood help someone specifically at UI Hospitals and Clinics?

Yes, the blood collected by DeGowin is used by the patients at UI Hospitals and Clinics. What is really wonderful about donating blood, is you really don’t know whose life you will save. It could coincidentally—and what a great gift to give someone, another chance at life.

If someone would like to schedule a time to donate, what phone number is the best to use?

You can call the DeGowin Blood Center at 319-356-2058. You can also sign up online for our blood drives at www.uihealthcare.com/bloodcenter