Kindness Opportunity #13: Donating Platelets to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, according to their website, is to advance cures and means of prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.  No child is ever denied treatment based on race, religion, or a family’s ability to pay.  Unlike any other hospital, the majority of St. Jude’s funding comes from individual contributions.  Because of this, families of patients never receive a bill from this hospital.  St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancers and other life-threatening diseases.

I recently learned about St. Jude’s need for platelet donors for their patients.  Platelets are small blood components that help the clotting process by sticking to the lining of blood vessels.  They are made in the bone marrow and survive in the circulatory system.  Patients suffering from diseases such as leukemia, as well as patients who are undergoing treatments like chemotherapy usually have a decreased platelet count.  If the number of platelets in a patient’s blood becomes too low, spontaneous bleeding can occur.  Even a small amount of bleeding can be dangerous, particularly if it occurs in the brain.  In other words, without platelet transfusions, many lives would be lost.

A patient whose treatment involves a bone marrow transplant will typically require 120 units of platelets during the course of their treatment.  It costs St. Jude between $500 - $700 to purchase just one unit of platelets from an outside provider.  Each month, St. Jude performs approximately 800 blood and platelet transfusions.  It is because of this that the need for platelet donations is great.  And it is because of this that Michael and I decided to donate our platelets to this very worthy cause.

Random Act of Kindness # 17:
March 18, 2016

The process starts with a short interview.  If you’ve ever given blood, you know what I’m talking about.  This is where they ask you what drugs you’re currently taking, ask you the standard questions that would help them to determine whether your blood is safe to use, and check your iron levels, blood pressure, etc.  A woman named Katherine conducted my interview and she kept me laughing the whole time.  She really helped to put me at ease.  Once the interview is over, off you go to the donation room. 

Now, the nurses in the donation room want you to be as comfy as possible.  After all, you’re working together to save lives.  So, you’re provided a comfy chair, nice warm blankets, snacks, your own personal TV with remote, and a nice selection of movies to help you pass the time.  This is much appreciated since a platelet donation can take up to 2 hours. 

I must praise my nurse, Lisa.  I have horrible veins, you see.  Lab technicians typically hate drawing blood from me.  My veins are rollers and blowers, and it turns out that this is not ideal for a platelet donor.  Platelets are collected by first drawing whole blood from a donor.  The blood is then separated into red blood cells, plasma and platelets inside a machine by using centrifugation. The platelets are retained while the machine returns the red blood cells and plasma back to the donor.  It is this return that can be a little hard on the vein.  Fortunately, Lisa wouldn’t give up on me.  She searched and searched both arms before finding a vein she thought would be appropriate.  And, she only had to stick me one time!  She was very attentive throughout the process and did her best to make sure I was comfortable at all times. 

During this whole process, I learned that I have a very high platelet count – a whopping 500,000!  Lisa said the highest she had seen was between 250,000-300,000.  I was so excited because this meant that I was able to give double the number of units!

Overall, my experience was great!  The staff was pleasant (they didn't even balk when I asked to take a picture with them for my blog) and the donation process was pretty much painless.  If you are able, I highly recommend donating blood and/or platelets to St. Jude.  You never know the difference it could make in the life of a very special little one. 

 

A big thank you to my husband for hanging out with me and keeping me company during the 2 hours process, even though he was unable to donate due to some current medication he is on.  And another big thank you to my brother for making me aware of this giving opportunity in the first place.

For more information on donating blood and blood products to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, click here:  https://www.stjude.org/treatment/patient-resources/resources-on-campus/blood-donor-center.html  

Kindness Opportunity #12: Pet Therapy

Studies have shown that physical contact with a pet can lower high blood pressure, lower cholestrol (according to the CDC), lower stress levels, and improve the survival rate of heart attack patients.  Further evidence has shown that petting an animal can cause endorphins to be released, which can suppress physical pain in the body, and the action of petting an animal can help to improve fine motor skills.  A patient's communication skills can improve when a patient requests an animal to sit, shake hands, jump up, etc.

A couple of the psychological benefits of pet therapy include social skill development and anxiety relief.  The inclusing of an animal in the life or therapy of a patient can make a big difference in the patient's comfort, progress, and recovery.

Random Act of Kindness #15: I have long thought that my 10 year old girl, Geisha, would make a wonderful therapy pet for nursing home residents.  Geisha has always gravitated toward the senior population.  In the couple of years that my elderly mother-in-law lived with us, Geisha seemed to prefer to spend hours and hours by her side.  And as a certified dog trainer, I was confident in Geisha's skill level and her ability to interact appropriately with elderly patients.  But, as it does with us all, life kept me pretty busy.  So, it wasn't until recently that I finally got around to contacting nursing homes to schedule some pet therapy visits.  

This week, I took Geisha and my mother with me to visit some residents at one of those local nursing homes.  We went from room to room asking each patient if they wanted to meet our puppy dog, Geisha.  

They were thrilled and many lined up in the hallway excited for the interaction. 

 We told each resident that Geisha wanted to say hello and give them her favorite bible verse (we had printed a few encouraging bible verses to hand out to everyone - http://www.meetpenny.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Scriptures-for-Encouragement.pdf).  We read the verses to those who asked, others read it alound to themselves. Some were so touched, they told us they planned to frame the bible verse we gave them.

Geisha sat for treats when asked by a patient.  She put her front paws on laps when invited to do so. She's such a polite greeter and social butterfly who eagerly fluttered from person to person to say hello!

It was a wonderful experience to see the eyes and faces light up for so many people who often have very few, if any, visitors.  Some of the residents literally cried tears of joy as we interacted with them.  We promised we'd bring Geisha back to visit them on St. Patty's Day.  

It only took about 90 minutes to visit with approximately 75 nursing home residents.  And it was obvious that those minutes meant very much to those we interacted with.  Why did I wait so long to do this!?!!

Are you interested in pet therapy?  Please do your homework.  
Here are some helpful resources:  
https://iaabc.org/working-animals/the-responsibilities-of-using-your-pet-for-therapy-work
http://www.therapydoginfo.net/
http://www.activphy.com/interested-pet-therapy/


Random Act of Kindness #16: 
March 17, 2016

Saint Patrick's Day provided another opportunity for Geisha to do a little pet therapy at Ave Maria's nursing home.  She brought a special St. Patrick's Day message to her friends. 

Geisha loves these visits so much. And the residents of the home light up when they see her walk in. 

mile emoticon

One resident is unable to see. When Geisha visits her, I have to guide her hand. Geisha puts her little paw right in the woman's hand as if to say, "Its OK. I'm right here." 

These visits can sometimes get a liittle emotional, but they are always very much worth while!