Red Cross blood technician Manuel Silva Marquez takes extra special care of first-time donor Diana Pineda, Executive Director for the Red Cross LA Region San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys Chapter.
Photo by Mimi Teller/American Red Cross
By Mimi Teller/American Red Cross
Settling in for her blood donation, Diana Pineda was a little sheepish about the event. Despite having worked for the American Red Cross for four years, including nine months as the biomedical volunteer workforce supervisor supporting blood donor ambassadors, Pineda had never donated blood before. As the newly appointed Executive Director for the Red Cross San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys Chapter, Pineda felt it was finally time to walk the walk.
“My mom always told me not to donate” said Pineda. “She said I would get sick if I gave blood. It’s myths like these and many others that seem to keep people from the Latino community from donating lifesaving blood.”
Donating blood is never the reason someone may get sick and if anything, it saves lives. For every 7 hospital patients one of them will need a blood transfusion — whether it’s for an organ transplant, a traumatic injury, childbirth complications, cancer treatment or a blood disorder like sickle cell disease; having a robust blood supply on the shelf is critical.
Donations from people in the Latino community are especially important in the treatment of trauma patients and others needing emergency blood transfusions because more than half of all Hispanics/Latinos in the U.S. have type O blood. Type O blood is most often in critical supply as it is most often needed by hospitals. In fact, type O negative blood can be transfused to patients with any blood type and is what hospital staff reach for during emergencies when there isn’t time to determine a patient’s blood type, making O positive and O negative blood types often the first to reach emergency levels during blood shortages.
“Blood donations need to have a bigger presence in Latino communities” Pineda said. “You save lives when you donate, but some people won’t understand this until they’re the one who needs blood. It’s a conversation we need to have.”
"It feels really great to know I'm doing something to help my community, really, anyone who needs blood." - Diana Pineda
Photo by Mimi Teller/American Red Cross
While most first-time blood donors generally start with a whole blood donation that takes about 10 minutes, Pineda went for the gusto, opting to make a Power Red donation. Power Red donations are like whole blood donations, except they add about 30 minutes to the process and use a special machine to allow donors to safely give two units of red blood cells during one donation, while returning plasma and platelets to the donor.
While a little nervous at the start, Pineda completed her first ever blood donation with a resounding “That was easy! I can’t wait to donate again!”
Make a donation appointment today at redcrossblood.org
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please
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