LIHUE — The facilities are prepared, the resources are in place, and the necessity is pressing. Blood Bank of Hawaii invites the community to take action and play a vital role as silent heroes in the community’s well-being.
The Blood Bank of Hawaii has commenced its operations this year by reopening its facilities at the Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort in Lihue. This initiative will occur over three days, with multiple times scheduled so all individuals can participate.
Senior Recruiter at Blood Bank of Hawaii, Traci Takehara, emphasizes the critical importance of blood donation in maintaining a steady and synchronized flow within the Hawaiian chain vein. She explained the significance of this process and detailed how efficiently it operates, highlighting the necessity of community participation in the donation efforts.
“All of our people are here from Oahu, so we carry everything over. We had a team come in on Monday, and the rest of the team came in on Tuesday morning,” explained Takehara. “We have over one hundred appointments, and we pray Kauai shows up this week and donates.
“I’ve been working for the blood bank for five years. I go through Kauai, Maui, and Kona, and it’s so good to see all the donors come out, you know, it’s a family. We’re happy to see our community and see new faces, and we want to remind the new generation to come out. A lot of people don’t realize you can start donating from 16 years old, so we encourage them to visit us too,” she said.
Donors typically contribute one pint of blood. Following collection, the blood is transported to the laboratory in Oahu, where it is separated with compressors into plasma, platelets, and red cells. After thorough testing and ensuring safety for distribution, that single pint of blood can benefit three different patients.
Hanapepe resident Chadley Schimmelfennig, donating his liquid gold at the pop-up center, expressed feeling proud to be donating. He explains that his body produces too much blood, so he decided to jump into action and save his community.
“I’ve been forced to donate by my physician; that’s why I am here today,” Schimmelfemmig said. “The last time I donated was twenty years ago when I was in the military. I guess I am producing too much blood, so the doctor required me to donate.
“I am type-O blood, so I donate every two months. I don’t know if that’s weird, but I make my appointments and I keep coming and I guess it’s okay; at least I can do something to save lives. I know a lot of people fear the process and getting poked, but if you look at it, we all get tattoos, and it’s a simple process; just give it a try,” he said
Individuals who contribute this week can expect their donations to reach Hawaii hospitals within a few days, following the necessary safety assurances. Given that only two percent of the population engages in blood donation, the demand is significant that the blood banks and hospitals are ready to receive blood donations immediately.
“Donor safety is our top-notch first priority, and we will not let you donate unless it is safe for your body to do so,” added Takehara. “We consistently monitor our donors throughout the process; we make sure they’re feeling okay before we let them go. Our regular donors keep coming back because they want to help the community, and know they are well taken care of, and we appreciate them so much.”
Takehara also dispelled many myths about blood donation, so there should be no hesitation for anyone who is on the fence about donating blood.
“We are kinda low on appointments this year, so we want to clear any myths out there, and we want to clear the information. For example, in the past, individuals with tattoos had to wait a year to donate; however, now, as long as you’re getting your tattoo in a regulated state then there is no wait time, and Hawaii is state-regulated, so you can get a tattoo in the morning and donate in the afternoon. If you are menstruating, you can also donate; regardless of gender or sexuality, you can donate.
“The most common reason we would ever turn someone down is if they have low iron. There are certain things, but we check your pulse, temperature, and blood pressure. But your iron is a two-week deferral because it takes that long for individuals to get their iron levels up.”
“I understand the fear of needles, but with only two percent of our population donating blood, we need at least 150 to 200 donors daily to meet the needs of just our local hospitals, emphasized Takehara.
“It’s a mind over matter thing, just imagine it was your mother who needed blood. You would all of a sudden not be scared of needles and help save her life, so you never know who might be in need; you could potentially be saving yourself, for all you know, so we hope people consider donating because you can potentially save up to three lives, whether it’s a neighbor or your loved ones, you’re not just giving them the gift of life, but time—and it’s just so simple— some paperwork, we check your vitals and an hour of your time.
Thursday is the last day to donate blood in Kauai. Individuals interested in donating are encouraged to visit BBH.org to make an appointment.
