PRINTER'S NO. 14
No. 13 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY BOSCOLA, COSTA, FONTANA, ERICKSON, FOLMER,
GORDNER, KASUNIC, KITCHEN, MUSTO, RHOADES, BRUBAKER,
RAFFERTY, TARTAGLIONE, O'PAKE, STOUT AND WAUGH,
JANUARY 24, 2007
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, JANUARY 24, 2007
A RESOLUTION
1 Encouraging public and nonpublic schools to instruct the
2 students of this Commonwealth on the need for and rewards of
3 blood donation and volunteering in local blood donation
4 programs.
5 WHEREAS, Victims of trauma, surgery patients, organ
6 transplant patients, patients receiving treatment for leukemia,
7 cancer or other diseases and other individuals require
8 transfusions of whole blood and whole blood components; and
9 WHEREAS, On average, one person needs blood every three
10 seconds; and
11 WHEREAS, Approximately 38,000 units of blood are used each
12 day in the United States; and
13 WHEREAS, In 2001, 15 million units of whole blood and red
14 blood cells were donated in the United States while nearly 29
15 million units of blood components were used by persons in need;
16 and
17 WHEREAS, Volunteer blood donors provide nearly all of the
18 nation's blood supply for transfusion; and
1 WHEREAS, Blood banks frequently run short of types O and B
2 blood, and shortages of all types of blood occur during the
3 summer and winter holidays; and
4 WHEREAS, No substitute for human blood currently exists, but
5 one unit of donated blood can save the lives of up to three
6 people; and
7 WHEREAS, While one unit of whole blood may be used for
8 transfusion, the same unit of whole blood can be separated into
9 several components, including red blood cells, white blood
10 cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitated AHF
11 (antihemophilic factor), for use by different individuals with
12 different needs; and
13 WHEREAS, Red blood cells carry oxygen and are used to treat
14 anemia, platelets control bleeding and are used to treat
15 leukemia and other cancers, and plasma and cryoprecipitated AHF
16 are used to control bleeding; and
17 WHEREAS, Red blood cells must be used within 42 days or may
18 be frozen for up to ten years, platelets must be used within
19 five days, and plasma and cryoprecipitated AHF may be frozen and
20 used within one year; and
21 WHEREAS, Volunteer blood donors cannot contract acquired
22 immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or any other blood disease
23 from the blood donation procedure; and
24 WHEREAS, More than ten tests, most of which are for
25 infectious diseases, are performed on each unit of donated
26 blood; and
27 WHEREAS, While 60% of the population of the United States
28 meets the criteria for blood donation and is eligible, only 5%
29 donates blood and blood components; and
30 WHEREAS, An adult of average weight has about ten to 12 units
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1 of blood and may donate whole blood once every eight weeks or 56
2 days, and red blood cell donation, called red cell apheresis,
3 can be made every 16 weeks; and
4 WHEREAS, The time period for blood collection takes
5 approximately ten to 20 minutes, with the entire process taking
6 about 45 minutes to one hour; and
7 WHEREAS, Students in this Commonwealth are our future leaders
8 and citizens; and
9 WHEREAS, In addition to the general education of this
10 Commonwealth's students which is essential to achieving well-
11 informed and successful citizens, school-based instruction which
12 addresses the need for and benefits of blood donation and
13 volunteer blood donors benefits local communities and this
14 Commonwealth with an improved donated blood supply and an
15 increased level of participation in local blood donation
16 programs; and
17 WHEREAS, School-based instruction on the personal rewards for
18 blood donors and blood donation program volunteers, from
19 providing necessary assistance through local blood donation
20 programs to individuals with a critical need for blood
21 transfusions, benefits blood donors, program volunteers, local
22 communities and this Commonwealth; therefore be it
23 RESOLVED, That the Senate encourage public and nonpublic
24 schools to provide instruction to the students of this
25 Commonwealth on the need for and the varied benefits of blood
26 donation and to encourage blood donation and participation in
27 local blood donation programs.
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