Who Will You Save? Supporting the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center
The UCLA Blood and Platelet Center (BPC) is the largest hospital-based donation center in the United States. All blood products collected at the BPC go to UCLA patients. Blood donation is a quick way for students to make a difference in the UCLA community. The UCLA Blood and Platelet Center has locations on campus in Ackerman Union and in Westwood on Gayley Avenue.
There is always a great need for blood; encouraging your students to donate helps people like Helen Albrecht. Helen is a second-year undergraduate student at UCLA who received many blood transfusions as a child and knows first-hand how blood saves lives. Read on to learn more about her story and the blood donation process, and share with your student so they can make an even greater impact at UCLA this holiday season and beyond!
Tell us about your story:
I was diagnosed at 11 years old with Ewing’s Sarcoma, an extremely rare cancer form. I was under treatment for nine months and required extensive surgery and chemotherapy every two weeks for five days at a time. Chemotherapy kills not only the cancer but also healthy blood cells, so patients like me undergoing chemotherapy need to wait for their blood cell counts to increase to safe levels to be able to receive treatment. After chemotherapy, I would go to the hospital to receive both blood and platelets to continue my treatment. I would not have survived if not for blood and platelet transfusions (because my treatments would have been extended if I had waited for my counts to get back up by themselves). I also received many units of blood when I had a large surgery on my leg to remove the cancer.
What was it like receiving blood?
My mom and I made a little game about whether I would need to receive blood that day. We would attempt to walk up the stairs, and on days when I couldn’t, I would be so out of breath that my heart would be pounding in my ears. We could tell it was a day that I would get blood. We would also take before and after pictures; we could see how I was so gray, and hollow-looking before and after you could see in my rosy cheeks how much better I looked. After getting blood, I felt warm and alive and could walk up those stairs completely fine. I would be nervous about getting chemotherapy because it made me so sick, and I felt so bad, but I would genuinely look forward to getting blood because I would feel so much better afterward.
Why should people donate blood?
I am very passionate about donating blood. It is a very important cause, and I think anyone can do it. The process is not too taxing on the donor, and it is so vital. I would literally not be alive without it. I know so many of my friends who still need transfusions; during COVID, there has been a severe blood shortage. So, we need to make sure people donate to ensure there is enough blood for everyone who needs it.
What would you say to people hesitant to donate?
It is understandable that it is scary to donate blood for the first time. It was also very nerve-wracking to receive blood, so I understand how that feels. Just know how much of an impact you are making because people would not be alive without others giving blood. The UCLA BPC staff are the nicest people and very supportive, and there are snacks, juice, and Gatorade to make your experience the best. The first time is the scariest because it is new to you, but it is much easier after that!
What are platelets? How were they helpful for you to receive?
Platelets are the part of your blood that causes bleeding to cease. There were multiple times when my platelet count was close to 0. Something as minor as a scraped knee could have killed me because I would have kept bleeding since my body could not stop it. Not having platelets was dangerous, so I frequently got them after chemotherapy. Platelet donation takes a bit longer, but it is vital to the safety of many patients, including me.
Why should UCLA parents encourage their student(s) to donate?
My mom is a huge supporter of blood donation because she works in healthcare, and a lot of times, even now, she will recruit my friends to donate blood. Parents have a lot of influence over their children, and even saying how important it is and encouraging them to donate on campus could be the thing that makes them donate and help someone else. Parents can use this for good and bring it up to their kids! Parents can donate with their kids, and if you are ever in town, you could all come to the center as a family bonding activity.
To donate at UCLA, visit https://www.uclahealth.org/programs/gotblood. For further information, contact Tom King, UCLA Blood and Platelet Center Campus Recruiter, at tlking@mednet.ucla.edu. To donate outside of the LA area, visit the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies at https://www.aabb.org/for-donors-patients/give-blood.
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