Blood Drive

A SMILIAR VERSION OF THIS STORY HAS BEEN PUBLISHED WITH MS>
THIS IS MY ORGINAL BLOG POST!

Thursday afternoon, an unusual announcement message gonged throughout the 8 decks of The Africa Mercy. The urgent voice of the speaker came through the overcom and expressed a great need on behalf of the laboratory on Deck 3. The international Café’ slowed down to the point where we could only hear the vents from the 50% running a/c. The internet Café stopped clicking on the keyboard and just began to listen to rest of the broadcast.

‘All staff who are A+ or B+ please immediately report to the lab. We will not be able to host any more surgeries without your assistance. We need blood. If we do not have the sufficient amount, we will not be able to perform any more surgeries. If you have time right now, please come to the lab on deck 3, and donate blood.’

In a matter of moments the steps and halls at the stern of the ship escorted the pedestrians towards the doors of the deck 3 lab. Lines had been formed. Documents handed out. Arm sleeves rolled up and lab technicians were prompt to draw blood.

“The immediate and overwhelming staff response of donors and volunteers were ready to do whatever, and they had so many people that I wasn’t able to donate my blood on that day. I got there to late,” said Laura Coles (pediatric ward nurse). “Less than two minutes after the announcement there were at least fifteen people outside of the laboratory. I may not have given blood that day, but I was able to help the lab technicians draw blood.”

The first to arrive were the nurses and medical staff on Deck 3, and some of the medical team began to prep one another to draw blood. The rest of the volunteers of the Africa Mercy arrived in waves, followed, by people from Deck 4, and soon by the rest on Deck 5.

The next announcement echoed through the ship,

“All available nurses who are not already working please report to the lab!
We need your assistance!”

Once again the laboratory technicians were in awe, of the continued giving on the ship.

“I came immediately from my room on Deck 2, only to find the hallway already filled with twelve to fifteen people.” stated Anna Parthun (ward nurse).

The residents of The Africa Mercy were so moved by this need that they had stopped in the middle of their very busy day to heed the critical call on the ship. There was an urgent need and the people of Africa Mercy responded unanimously once again.

The results from the call are many, but one in particular stands out. At one point there was only one B+ on the ship and that volunteer would be woken up late at night to donate blood on occasion, and now there are over seven people on the B+ blood type rotation to donate this very precious commodity. A result that was so quickly and overwhelmingly filled. According to Linda Soares a lab technician on the ship, twenty-four individuals donated in one afternoons time.