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Clovis 
Group: Members
Posts: 247
Joined: Feb. 2004
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Posted on: Apr. 14 2004,8:50 pm |
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From the Miami Herald...(http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/8414920.htm?1c)
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COLUMBIA, Mo. - Members of a sorority were urged to lie about their health to qualify as donors in a competitive blood drive at the University of Missouri-Columbia, a school that once set a world record for blood collection.
In an e-mail sent last Tuesday to about 170 members of Gamma Phi Beta, Christie Key, the chapter's blood donation coordinator, wrote: "I dont care if you got a tattoo last week LIE. I dont care if you have a cold. Suck it up. We all do. LIE. Recent peircings? LIE."
The sending of the e-mail was first reported Sunday by the Columbia Missourian and the Columbia Daily Tribune.
Sororities and fraternities conducted the competitive blood drive last Wednesday and Thursday. It is a campus tradition that in 1999 took in 3,156 units of blood - enough to earn recognition from the Guinness Book of Records as the largest single-site, single-day blood collection.
Jim Williams, a spokesman for the American Red Cross, said the organization discourages any actions that could jeopardize the blood supply, including donations from those who are sick or recently received tattoos or piercings.
"We have emphasized from day one it is not necessary for each girl to donate, so it is a waste," Williams said Monday.
About 3,300 units of blood were collected at the Missouri event.
In her e-mail, Key wrote: "We're not messing around. Punishment for not giving blood is going to be quite severe."
Chris Linder, a law student who serves as the Gamma Phi Beta chapter's adviser, said the e-mail was "completely inappropriate and a huge mistake."
Key declined to comment Monday and referred questions to Gamma Phi Beta's chapter president, who did not immediately return a call.
Cathy Scroggs, a campus vice chancellor, said the university had begun an investigation.
"I would characterize it at this time as one student that is overzealous," Scroggs said. "But we have heard that people have felt pressured to donate blood in the past, and this certainly has caused us to want to take a look at the whole process." |
Here are the websites of the Columbia papers that the Miami article talks about - http://www.digmo.org is the Missourian, and the other paper (the Daily Tribune) is at http://www.showmenews.com. I found the original articles in their online archives.
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On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux. --Antoine de St-Exupéry
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| Post Number: 2
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repdan
justdan
Group: Members
Posts: 649
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Apr. 14 2004,10:21 pm |
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What a sad comment.
I wonder how many people read all the questions that they are asked before they give. I was kicked out because of having visited parts of Mexico and Central America.
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carpe ductem.....remember we're all in this together..I'm pull'n for you.
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| Post Number: 3
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kid dyn-o-mite
Group: Members
Posts: 366
Joined: Apr. 2004
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Posted on: Apr. 14 2004,10:38 pm |
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*note to self...do not contaminate blood by visiting third world countries 
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This message has been approved by me, Kid Dyn-o-mite.
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| Post Number: 4
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Clovis
Group: Members
Posts: 247
Joined: Feb. 2004
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Posted on: Apr. 15 2004,7:10 am |
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I don't think it's just third world countries anymore. If I recall correctly, if you lived in Europe for more than 4 months before 1984(? - I could have my year off by one or two here), you're ineligible as well.
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On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux. --Antoine de St-Exupéry
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| Post Number: 5
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Liberal
Group: Moderator
Posts: 11451
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Apr. 15 2004,9:13 am |
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In the mid 80's I went through jungle school in Panama and before I went there the Army gave me 18 injections to vaccinate me against different diseases.
After I got back the next time I went to give blood I told them I had recently deployed to Panama and they told me they didn't want my blood anymore.
About 5 -7 years later I was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder. The disorder I have causes my immune system to create antibodies to my platelets and even though I can't give it to people permanantly, if you were to transfuse somebody with my blood they could develop it short term like for like a week or two. But a person that is in the position of needing a blood transfusion certainly doesn't want to become a bleeder for even a week or two.
What's strange is when it got bad and I had to start seeing a hematologist at Mayo the first question they asked me was is if I had ever traveled to central america. Then they started doing tests on my spleen, my bone marrow and everything else you can imagine. But the whole time the test were geared towards a disease that I had picked up in central america.
After a couple weeks of going to the doctor daily I found out I had a first cousin in kentucky that had the same problem since she was 18 months old and since I had a first cousin with the same rare blood disorder it's automatically diagnosed as genetic. So they took my spleen out(it's where your body stores platelets) and my blood counts have remained pretty normal for 5-6 years now.
But, if the Red Cross didn't have such strict rules about travel I could have easily been donating blood for another 5-7 years and my blood could have possibly really hurt someone, so, I guess it's a good thing they are cautious.
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The people are masters of both Congress and courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert it!
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| Post Number: 6
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Clovis
Group: Members
Posts: 247
Joined: Feb. 2004
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Posted on: Apr. 15 2004,1:28 pm |
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Geez, Liberal... that blood disorder sounds awful. The fact that someone can "temporarily" get it is just scary!
Do you know if the Red Cross currently screens for that particular disorder in the blood supply?
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On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux. --Antoine de St-Exupéry
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| Post Number: 7
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kid dyn-o-mite
Group: Members
Posts: 366
Joined: Apr. 2004
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Posted on: Apr. 15 2004,1:40 pm |
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1. Yes, it certainly appears genetic and probably is.
2. Those shots aren't "free" though. People often don't realize the impact shots like that have on the body.
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This message has been approved by me, Kid Dyn-o-mite.
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