<p>Well there was a blood drive at my school today for students age 17/over and the staff.</p>
<p>I have lost some respect for a friend of mine who refused to donate blood, because evidently it was "too good" for anyone not a member of his family to have.</p>
<p>Then there are some who simply don't want to deal with the discomfort...understandable I suppose.</p>
<p>I was more than eager to give what I have plenty of...blood is replenished within a day or so anyway. It may be a little inconvenient, but I see it as a way of helping others.</p>
<p>What's your take? If someone is presented with an easy venue such as a high school to donate, do they have a moral responsibility to donate a bit of their time to potentially save lives?</p>
<p>Yea people do have a moral responsibility to donate, but obviously we cant force this on people. I think anyone who is able to donate blood should, my dad donates blood whenever he can because he has something in his blood that newborn babies need. I thought that was so cute :) But yea I'll donate when i'm able to.</p>
<p>uhm no, they aren't. Blood donation is a choice. It's that person's body, and they can do what they want with it. Take the context of "too good". Does that person have any sort of blood donation arangement with his family, like leukemia or whatnot? Perhaps he is forced to save his blood for that one purpose only. Or perhaps it is something that he was raised up to do (not quite a good reason, but compare that to people who just don't want to take the pain. It's like ingrained morals, versus the aversion to physical discomfort. which is more excuseable? I have no idea.) And then there's the fact that some people are not fit to give blood. Not just the height and the weight thing (as someone who will never qualify, I really don't like the implication that if you don't give blood when you have the chance, you're not doing the right thing. If I gave blood, not only would I pass out, but I would lose more weight than I do already. Don't go there.) there's also the immigration thing (if you're born in a different country, you can't give blood) and then there's several diseases (not just AIDs or STDs) that can be spread by blood. </p>
<p>and "too good" for anyone not a member of his family to have? Well how do you know he's a match for anyone else besides his family? Maybe that's his way of saying his blood doesn't fit anyone else. I don't know. Blood transfusions are complicated. I don't think it's just blood type. There can be nasty problems that go with it if the match isn't right...right? I don't know. My parents are both doctors, and they have some pretty horrid stories.</p>
<p>So don't just go and make all those assumptions, ok? thanks.</p>
<p>You clearly don't understand. Diseases and physical incompatibilities are tested and checked beforehand- no problems there.</p>
<p>Your blood is replenished after about a day or so, nobody "saves" it for somebody else. Also, you never know who your blood is going to help or not...it is stored at a blood bank where it is then turned to the doctors caring for those in need of it.</p>
<p>you do if you have an arrangement to done blood to a specific relative for a specific disease. And I know physical imcompatibilities are checked. So what if you're the only one known to be physically compatible with your family? </p>
<p>So if I can't donate am I committing a moral wrong here?</p>
<p>I've donated twice, and I feel guilty for not donating more, but last year I donated during cross country season and it messed me up for a few days, so I've decided to wait until track is over in the spring before I start donating regularly again. I also went to the Philippines this year, and I'm supposed to wait a year after visiting a country where malaria is found, so I think I should wait until next fall anyway,</p>
<p>same reasons why some people choose not to be organ donors. some people just have beliefs against it...I don't know....maybe it could be something religious.</p>
<p>" have lost some respect for a friend of mine who refused to donate blood, because evidently it was "too good" for anyone not a member of his family to have."
Maybe that person really didn't want to mention that they have a phobia or a disease that is can be spread through a transfusion. </p>
<p>One thing that I don't understand is why more people don't sign up to be bone marrow donors. So many ill people need bone marrow, and it's hard to find compatible donors. While donating involves surgery and some discomfort, it's relatively low risk and to me would be worth saving a person's life.</p>
<p>I'm addicted to giving blood! i love how I can save x people's lives with something as simple as giving blood.</p>
<p>Come on guys it takes like 10-20min of your day, to give blood. My friend said to me once, "My blood stays inside me, not in anyone else." and I said, "but without your blood, they may die" and she said, "so? It's their fault that they lost it in the first place!"
and I was just.. stunned..</p>
<p>Same with Chris, I understand when people are scared of the pain or if they have a disease or whatever, but I dont understand when people say something as stupid as, "it's my blood. no one else can have it." To ME, that is a completely unacceptable excuse.</p>
<p>
[quote]
They stockpile this stuff in some warehouse and tell everyone there is a shortage
[/quote]
Try the hospital. I used to work with storing blood packs and though there's a demand for blood, there is one pack from a gentleman that has been there for 2 months, now. I've never seen them run out, but they're always claiming shortage. :)</p>
<p>I won't meet the weight requirement for a while, but I've gotten very close to passing out in health class because of descriptions, so I'd probably be unconscious while giving blood if I did. It might be difficult to convince the nurse not to wake me up until afterwards; there might be rules about that sort of thing. (My actual reasoning is that I hate the feeling just before I pass out, but I don't think this is a valid excuse.)</p>
<p>You can't stockpile blood. Blood can't be used if it's been stored for more than 35 days, so they need a constant supply of donors. And yeah, some blood types are needed more than others.</p>
<p>an while it only takes 1-2 days to replenish to a level that you won't run the risk incapacitating you, it takes months for it to go back to the FULL level that it was when you donated. If you're a high level athlete, I've always been told you don't donate blood untill the end of the season, because it could take six months to FULLY replenish.</p>
<p>I think I might be the biggest advocate in the world for giving blood. I started giving platelets as soon as i turned 17 and i have given every 2 weeks since then. I really dont see a lot of good reasons for NOT giving blood... if you dont meet the age or weight requirement, sure. if youre DEATHLY afraid of needles, sure. but other than that, i just dont understand. im a high school athlete.. i give and im not extra tired or anything because of it. i plan on giving anything i can, really. i want to help people.. and i figure its karma. what if yall get into an accident and need a transfusion? youll be relying on people who gave blood. the platelets i give help people who are recovering from severe burns or chemo. i guess some people just dont see the world like i do.</p>