Wondering what happened to blood you donated?
I donated blood last week for the first time in a long while.
It feels good to do something to help your community. I hope my donation makes a difference for someone who is ailing. And I hope I hear from the recipient, through a new initiative offered by Miller-Keystone Blood Center.
Late last year, it started a “Thank the Donor” program.
People who receive blood at some hospitals are given the opportunity to write an anonymous note of thanks to the person who supplied it.
Imagine how you would feel if you received this:
“Thank you so much for donating your blood. It is helping me during my triplets’ pregnancy. My family appreciates it more then we could ever show. It is a blessing to be able to have the chance to receive blood that is life saving … a million thanks to you from our growing family.”
That’s what a blood recipient at St. Luke’s University Health Network said to her donor. She included a photo of her sonogram.
A message like that certainly should inspire you to continue donating blood. That’s the idea behind the program, which is being rolled out during one of the worst blood shortages in recent memory.
The goal is “to make the donor feel as if it’s really going to somebody, it’s not just disappearing,” said Diane Wiest, Miller-Keystone’s senior director of risk management and donor health.
The hope is to create an emotional connection that inspires donors to become repeat donors. The thought of knowing they helped someone may be an incentive for new donors, too.
People who receive blood also may be inspired to become donors.
The program began in December at The Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Cancer Center in Wilkes-Barre, part of Geisinger health system.
It since has expanded to St. Luke’s; Reading Tower Health; Geisinger Wyoming Valley; and Geisinger Community Medical Center.
At those hospitals, staff explain the program to patients who receive blood, or to their family members. Those who want to participate log into a website to write their note, entering a unique identification number from the blood they received.
The message is received at Miller-Keystone, which connects the ID number to the donor. Staff then forward the note, by email or mail.
Some blood donors are so proud of the messages they’ve received that they have posted them on Facebook, Wiest told me.
She said donors who receive a thank you and would prefer not to get one in the future can opt out. But that hasn’t happened.
“Everybody’s looking forward to it,” she said.
The process is anonymous. The donor and recipient do not have access to each other’s personal information.
So far, 78 blood recipients have participated. Here are what a few of them told donors:
“May God bless you. My sister is fighting stage 4 breast cancer. Your blood saved her life today and helped her live to fight another day.”
“Thank you so much for your generous donation. I just realized how rare this blood type is. Because of your kindness and sense of community you have helped me overcome a serious medical condition and when I get back on my feet I will return the favor and donate this rare blood.”
“I would like to thank you for taking the time out of your day to donate your blood that I received. I had a miscarriage and lost a lot of blood and your donation saved me. Thanks again for your generosity.”
Recipients also can attach a photo or video with their message.
Thank the Donor was developed by the Oklahoma Blood Institute. It was so popular that the institute has shared its concept with other donation centers, including providing the necessary software and training.
I hope donors who receive messages through Thank the Donor are inspired to continue donating. I hope they share their inspiration with others and encourage them to donate, too.
If you don’t hear from your blood recipient, don’t be discouraged. Not all hospitals participate in the program. And not all recipients may be comfortable participating. Recipients may be dealing with deeply personal situations and prefer to remain private.
But that doesn’t mean they aren’t grateful.
When you leave a donation center or blood drive, rest assured that you have made a difference.
You can find the location of upcoming blood drives, or make an appointment to give blood at a donation center, on Miller-Keystone’s website at giveapint.org and the Red Cross website at redcrossblood.org.