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Woman Awaiting Kidney Transplant Organizes Blood Drive
BAY CITY, MARCH 29 2007 - Katie Barrett, a Bay City area woman with a serious medical condition, decided she wanted to do something positive while waiting to have kidney surgery, so she will help boost the community blood supply by presenting an open-to-the-public blood drive in conjunction with Michigan Community Blood Centers, on Monday, April 9, 2007, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Bangor Township Hall, 180 State Park Drive, Bay City.
No appointment is necessary to give blood at the drive on April 9. Any healthy person 17 or older who weighs 110 pounds or more may be eligible to give blood every 56 days. Each pint of blood can help three to four people.
Each day, patients in American hospitals receive approximately 38,000 units of blood.This year, 4.5 million patients will require blood transfusions. On average, one out of every five people entering the hospital will need blood. Besides caring for accident victims and surgical patients, blood is often needed to help people being treated for many kinds of diseases in including cancer.
Ms. Barrett, 39, needed blood transfusions while being treated for cervical cancer three years ago, and while battling infections caused by reduced kidney function. She developed kidney problems due to scarring of the ureters (tubes that connect the kidneys and bladder) during radiation treatments she received for cancer. Because she does not yet require dialysis, she isn’t eligible to receive a kidney transplant from a deceased donor. To sustain kidney function and avoid dialysis, Ms. Barrett will undergo an advanced surgical procedure at University of Michigan Medical Center in late April. Surgeons will reposition her kidney and create new ureters using bladder tissue. “I’m confident this will be a success, but ultimately I will need to find a living kidney donor,” Ms. Barrett said. “Since none of my four siblings is a match for my blood, I will need to find someone with type O blood who would be willing to donate a kidney.”
To find out more about donating blood or call toll-free 1-866-MIBLOOD. Information about kidney donation and Ms. Barrett (information on kidney donation also will be available at the blood drive on April 9).
A nonprofit independent blood bank, Michigan Community Blood Centers provides 100% of the blood supply for hospitals in four major regions including Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Midland, and Saginaw counties.
© Michigan Community Blood Centers
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