Together, Newport-Mesa residents can save lives

FLO MARTIN

This month marks the first anniversary of the onset of war in Iraq.

The casualties continue to rise. We need to remember the incredible

sacrifices of military families both in the U.S. and in coalition

nations. We need to honor our troops and the folks they left at home.

But not with words, please. Fancy presidential talk and official

congressional resolutions just don’t cut it -- at least not with me.

I need more.

Just two and a half years ago, we all rallied around the families

of those wounded or killed in the Twin Towers horror -- with more. We

all headed for our local American Red Cross blood center. The lines

of people waiting their turn to give were literally blocks long.

Everyone understood then that blood offers renewed life for another

human being.

Just last week, March 12, I lay down again, for the 135th time,

and gave of my life’s blood. For those of you who are wondering,

that’s one pint short of 17 gallons. In gasoline terms, that’s about

$40 worth. But in blood terms, even a measly pint is considered

priceless.

In 1964, when I began, donors lay on flat gurneys. Now, we’re on

comfortable, tilting recliners. So, last week, there I was with a

plastic bag filling with blood attached to my arm, just relaxing and

chatting with the attendant. One thing she told me was a shocker:

Blood donations are down, way down.

The statistics offered on the American Red Cross of Greater Los

Angeles website are awesome. In the two years since Sept. 11, 2001,

117,658 persons received direct health services; 1,646 persons were

trained in care giving, child care, infant health and HIV and AIDS;

146,483 persons were trained in community and workplace CPR, first

aid, aquatics and water safety courses; and 75,288 persons received

disaster preparedness information and training.

Red Cross activity also included 478 responses to local disaster

incidents; 14 shelters offered for families forced from their homes;

558 families receiving disaster assistance; 559 new volunteers

trained to provide disaster relief; 71 assignments filled on 23

disaster relief operations outside the chapter area; and $845,198

given for disaster relief.

On top of that, 2,774 military, veteran and civilian families

received emergency and social services; 2,313 emergency communication

services were provided; 2,507 military personnel were briefed on

services available to their families; 667 international social

services were extended; 2,173 persons were trained in international

law, tracing and social services; and 40,586 emergency and social

services were carried out. Not bad, eh? Guess again.

Here’s the wake-up call:

“Every two seconds, someone in America needs blood. Every day,

38,000 donations are needed in the United States to help save ...

lives. Just one unit of blood can help save as many as three lives,”

the Red Cross website reads.

Go online, neighbors, and check out the official American Red

Cross Greater Los Angeles. Better yet, go online to see if you

qualify to donate blood.

Best of all, call the organization for an appointment or for

information about becoming an apheresis donor or potential marrow

donor.

My Bible study group has been talking about Mel Gibson’s film “The

Passion of Christ.” The focus last week: Why so much blood? Our

answer at the end of the evening: Blood signifies renewed life. Hey,

what a concept.

Remember the Last Supper? “With this cup ... .” Absolutely nothing

new for the American Red Cross. Their motto, printed on the T-shirt I

wore into the donation center last week, has always been “Together,

we can save a life.”

* FLO MARTIN is a retired high school teacher who lectures

part-time at Cal State Fullerton in the Foreign Language Education

program and supervises student teachers in their classrooms.