For those looking to help in the aftermath of the floods in South King County and beyond, donating blood is one way to make sure those with the highest medical needs have access to lifesaving care.
Bloodworks shared that recent historic flooding from the atmospheric river weather system has disrupted blood drives and canceled more than 430 potential donations.
When the Green River levee breach occurred on Dec. 15, it triggered flash flood evacuations near their Renton facilities.
“While all blood stored in our lab remains safe, the impact on the blood supply is severe, especially for Type O negative now at emergency low levels,” Bloodworks shared on social media.
Donations are already typically low during the holiday season, so these cancellations are causing an urgent need for donors of all blood types to “support cancer patients, trauma care, and premature babies.”
Bloodworks hosts blood drives through their fleet of mobile vehicles around the region, including one at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way on Dec. 17.
“Our commitment to the health and well-being of our community is at the heart of everything we do,” said Joseph Brown, President of St. Francis Hospital, said of the blood drive. “Donating blood is a powerful way to directly impact the health of our neighbors. We’re proud to provide this opportunity for our community to come together and ensure a stable blood supply for those in urgent need.”
When Debiann Kyler and her grandson Noah Spinney saw the mobile blood donation truck on Dec. 17, it was his idea to donate.
“I thought, I’m young and strong, why not?” he told the Federal Way Mirror.
What he didn’t know was that his grandmother had promised his great-grandfather that she would be a blood donor in his memory.
“My dad donated for years and years until he couldn’t donate any longer,” Kyler said. Her father, Spinney’s great-grandfather, ended up needing blood transfusions once a week due to cancer that impacted him for his last eight years of life.
Even though the transfusions were necessary for his health, Kyler said that “he felt bad about taking blood that he knew would be needed for emergencies” or for people or children who were hurt in accidents.
“It broke my heart that he felt really bad taking blood, that he felt others needed it more, when he had donated blood for 40 years,” Kyler said.
Her father had also chosen to spend his last eight years out of the country, but that country was one where donated blood was hard to access with only one location that could provide it. Seeing this also made Kyler really appreciate the widespread access to this lifesaving healthcare in the United States.
Kyler and Spinney weren’t able to donate that day as the blood donation event was already packing up for the night when they asked, but they left with renewed motivation to find another way to donate soon.
John Yeager of Bloodworks told the Federal Way Mirror that between Dec. 22 and New Year’s Eve, they have 6,490 open appointments ready for donors to book.
While Bloodworks’ mobile blood donation vehicles allow for walkups, they recommend making an appointment online, which will also allow donors to fill out some information ahead of time and shorten the length of time their donation will take.
Blood donor day
Each year, Washington state observes Dec. 18 as Washington State Blood Donor Day as a reminder that “blood must be available before disasters strike and emergencies happen.”
Disasters often bring out the generosity of a community to want to help in whatever way they can, but blood donor day reminds people to bring that spirit of giving into their regular routine, to ensure communities are ready for emergencies when they happen.
Dec. 18 also marks the anniversary of the Amtrak 501 derailment near DuPont in 2017. The tragedy sparked an outpouring of support including blood donations after it claimed three lives, injured dozens, and disrupted transportation across Western Washington for days.
Donating in Federal Way
The Federal Way Donor Center is located at 1414 S. 324th St., #B101, Federal Way.
To schedule an appointment to donate blood at the Federal Way Center visit: https://donate.bloodworksnw.org/donor/schedules/center/5 or call 800-398-7888.
The center is open on Dec. 24 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, and closed on New Year’s Day, January 1.
Community members Noah Spinney and Debiann Kyler outside of the Bloodworks blood donation truck on Dec. 18 at St. Francis hospital. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / Sound Publishing
