By Anne W. Semmes
Those serving on the front lines of our health care with public officials gathered in the Noble Auditorium at Greenwich Hospital on Tuesday, February 1, to address the critical blood donation crisis. “This is one of those life and death conversations,” began Diane Kelly, president of Greenwich Hospital. “This state and this nation is suffering from a serious shortage of blood.”
“We need people to step up, “Kelly continued, “We need people to donate blood. The donations are treated and maintained and taken in a very safe environment. People will see masks…People will maintain social distancing, people will be using all the necessary protocols, because our goal is to keep everybody safe.”
Kelly introduced Dr. Kisha Mitchell Richards, the Hospital’s director of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, which includes the blood bank, who told of her pathologists now having to “review all requests for blood in much more stringent ways…. And we have also had to split units [of blood].”
Mary Barneby, CEO of the American Red Cross Greater New York Region, called the present blood shortage, “the worst in over a decade. As the winter presses on, the blood supply remains at dangerously low levels.” She recounted Dr. Richards’ share that last weekend’s storm across Connecticut “has caused a loss of 370 units just on Saturday” with her hospital needing nine units on a normal day.”
Barneby continued, “And in the month of January, winter weather caused more than 300 blood drives to be canceled, that represented 10,000 blood and platelet donations to go uncollected. So, to put it in perspective, the Red Cross has had less than a one day supply of critical blood products in recent weeks…We want to have at least five days supply every few weeks on a daily basis. In fact, blood is needed every two seconds in this country, for a patient or a medical need.”
“Just this past Sunday morning,” offered Stephanie Dunn Ashley, the CEO of the Greenwich based Metro New York North Chapter of the Red Cross, “I rolled up my sleeves to donate blood at our new Jill and John Coyle Blood Center. It was fast, it was easy, especially if you have a rapid pass system and have downloaded our app in advance. I was in and out in 30 minutes. And I did bring a friend. I donate every 56 days. If you donate every 56 days how important those donations are to accident victims, to newborns who were born prematurely, to mothers with pregnancy complications, to cancer patients and to those suffering from blood diseases. Every two seconds somebody needs blood.
A moving patient example of that life-seeking need for blood was introduced by Ashley: Todd Koorbusch of Darien who was treated at Greenwich Hospital during his three and a half year battle with a blood cancer – Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphona – the type Sezary Syndrome. Koorbusch explained later that the Sezary Syndrome starts in the skin and can spread to the blood but not in his case, with a life expectancy of 2-4 years.
Koorbusch began his sharing with, “If it wasn’t for the America Red Cross my wife would not have a husband and my three boys wouldn’t have a father.”
After unsuccessful blood treatments Koorbusch pursued a stem cell transplant though told by his Yale doctor, Dr. Francine Foss, it was only a last resort option with a 20-percent chance of dying from it. But time came for that last resort. And a difficult search for a matching blood donor was successful.
During that stem cell transplant treatment in 2018 Koorbusch shared that for weeks he had blood transfusions every day to keep him alive. Meeting up with his doctor a few months ago, knowing he would be talking with the American Red Cross he asked just how many blood transfusions he’d had – maybe 20? “Todd,” she told him, “You had like 25 to 30 blood transfusions before you had your stem cell treatments. And then you had one every day for a month after. So, you had well over 100 blood transfusions.”
Dr. Foss told Koorbusch, “Without the American Red Cross millions and millions of people would die every year without blood transfusions donated from people around the country. You wouldn’t be able to do stem cell transplants…to have chemo…to have radiation about blood.”
Koorbusch ended with, “Thank you American Red Cross for your efforts, or I wouldn’t be here today. Because tomorrow. You don’t know when tomorrow’s going to happen. I almost didn’t have a tomorrow.”
Fred Camillo, our First Selectman would add, “Sometimes until you’re sick or a loved one is sick, or there’s a shortage you really just don’t appreciate it because you’re busy, but take a few moments each day to remember, and if you can, please do go out and give blood and encourage others to do the same.”
To make that life-saving donation appointment, you can use the Red Cross Blood Donor App, or visit RedCrossBlood.org, or call 800-733-2767.
