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Posted: 9/6/2001 1:35:38 PM EDT
Guys a friend of mine has a very sick son named Noah. Noah is two years old and has been suffering with lekumia for most of his short life. He currently is in DIRE need of A positive platelets. Unfourtantaly Noah's body is rejecting the "universal" blood types. He can only accept A+.
If you are A+, are in South Florida, and have not taken Asprin or Iburoprofen in the last 7 days PLEASE concider giving up a hour or two of your time to help Noah.You might be saving his life.
If you can help contact me at, (954)593-9920 or [email protected]
Echo6
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 1:42:41 PM EDT
[#1]
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 1:45:46 PM EDT
[#2]
I will be finding out about the transport issue in a few hours. will post the info as soon as I recieve it.
echo6
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 1:48:36 PM EDT
[#3]
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 1:50:16 PM EDT
[#4]
My blood type is A+ but I am in Austin, TX.  If you can find a way to have it transported, I'll gladly give up a unit.

Semper Fi
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 2:03:08 PM EDT
[#5]
BTT
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 2:08:05 PM EDT
[#6]
I just got off the phone with Dolly at the Austin Blood & Tissue Center.  The blood can be shipped BUT the family has to make the request and provide a list, by name, of the donors, pay for shipping, etc...

Have your friend call Dolly at 512-206-1265 to make the necessary arangements.  Send me an email if your friend makes the transfer a reality, [email protected]

Please keep us posted!

Semper Fi
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 2:28:54 PM EDT
[#7]
DPeacher, thanks for the info will be speaking w/ Noah's Mom in about 45 min. Will post info.
HEY MODS anychance of getting this tacked to the top for a day or 2?
echo6
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 2:33:46 PM EDT
[#8]
OK guys, this is the kind of things that usually brings out the best in ya'll.  Let's help Noah out!
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 2:41:17 PM EDT
[#9]
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 3:10:55 PM EDT
[#10]
To all that have not donated platlets previously - Please Do!  I made another donation today because the Austin Blood Center is very low.  It will take an hour if you're lucky; mine usually take about 2 to 2.5 hours from signing in to finishing the cookies.  There is no substitute, if people don't give then others suffer.  The questions are the same as for whole blood, with the additional restriction of aspirin and ibuprofen.  The discomfort afterward is similar to whole blood donations - pretty much nonexistent.  It is good opportunity to catch up on your reading will you lay there.

A new rule has been set in Austin - maybe all over.  You can now give platlets every two weeks.  It used to be an 8 week wait after the second platlet donation, whether you gave an additional unit of whole blood or not.

It seems that new procedures are being developed that require more units, while the pool of donors is not growing as fast.  Please consider giving.  

I cannot imagine the pain of having my child's life being completely dependent on the generosity of others.

Good luck to the family.

[Edited for typos]
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 4:50:36 PM EDT
[#11]
North Florida here.
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 4:51:25 PM EDT
[#12]
I am also an idiot, I forgot what blood type I am.
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 5:12:05 PM EDT
[#13]
Guys just got back home.The people at the hospital who can answer the transport quest are gone for the day. So I need to contact the hospital in the morning to find out about
transporting the platlets.
I will follow up as soon as infor is available.
thanks,
echo6
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 5:28:20 PM EDT
[#14]
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 6:58:07 PM EDT
[#15]
Im A pos and i will donate blood if necesary i took some ibuprofin yesterday but will apstain if he needs blood again next week or in the future ill keep on eye on this post. Im in lawton OK about 3 hrs north of dallas. email me if you need to.
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 7:47:26 PM EDT
[#16]
Quoted:
A new rule has been set in Austin - maybe all over.  You can now give platlets every two weeks.  It used to be an 8 week wait after the second platlet donation, whether you gave an additional unit of whole blood or not.
[Edited for typos]
View Quote

I donate platelets at the City of HOpe Duarte, Calif(20miles east of L.A.).  It is 2 weeks here also. In the chair about 2 hours.
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 8:50:09 PM EDT
[#17]
I'm A+, but I just gave a pint of whole blood on Tuesday. Anyone know how long I have to wait before I do a platelet donation? If not this time, maybe in the near future. Email me any info I need to make a donation to a particular person. I know the Red Cross center near me does the platelet donations.
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 8:58:51 PM EDT
[#18]
I can't give blood with diabedes but maybe we could help with the shipping costs.

Let me know I'll look for your post,feel free to e-mail.

PS: I'm just up in Lakeland I'll see if the blood bank in town has some. That sould save on shipping.
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 9:51:43 PM EDT
[#19]
Folks again thanks for the prayers and support.
Found out that the reason Noah needs A+ and cannot use the "universal" BL types (that includes me as a AB-)is that since he has been receiving transfusions daily for the last 2 weeks, his body is more sensitive to the different "stuff" in the universal types.
For those wondering about donating later becouse of asprin/iburoprofen exposure in the last 7 days, that would be BETTER than everyone donating all at once. The platelets that Noah needs have a storage life of only 3 days. If posable I think it would be BETTER to stretch the donations out over a period of time.
thanks again,
echo6
Link Posted: 9/6/2001 10:49:48 PM EDT
[#20]
Noah, Goodluck and hang in their buddie!
Link Posted: 9/7/2001 4:00:55 AM EDT
[#21]
Echo,

I'm A+ in North Florida, I want to help, E-mail me at [email protected].

Kiwi
Link Posted: 9/7/2001 4:30:38 AM EDT
[#22]
Echo,

I posted this on glocktalk and www.thefiringline.com, hope you didn't mind.
Link Posted: 9/7/2001 7:18:29 AM EDT
[#23]
Just got off the phone with the blood bank at Joe Di Magio childrens hospital where Noah is.If you want to donate & transport the blood products here, you need to call your local blood bank & find out 1.how much they charge to ship 2. if a written request needs to come from a family member.When you find out your local banks policys e-mail me at [email protected]  with Noah Sinko in the title & let me know what you blood bank says so we can make this happen.
For those of you who are not a+ & still want to help, I will have paypal information available for those who want to make a donation to help cover the cost of transportation
Thanks again,
echo6 AKA Sal
Link Posted: 9/7/2001 7:31:58 AM EDT
[#24]
ALL - http://4.21.230.152/aboutabc/membership.htm has a search feature to locate your closest blood center.

MadMatt - Usually 8 weeks is the wait after whole blood.  Check with your blood center

A2Car - Some diabetics can donate.  Many Type II under control with diet or drugs can donate.  Check with your blood center.

Echo6 - I don't know exactly how the compensation plans work.  In Austin when we donate we are given a coupon allowing a certain rebate against some costs.  Most donors drop the coupons in a basket on the way out.  People needing these credits then raid the basket.  I will gladly raid the basket here and forward coupons if it will help.  I don't know if Austin coupons help.  Let me know.  

Also - I was under the impression that blood typing was much less important for platelets.  If Noah can use my A- let me know and I can work closely with the center to get mine to him.

Link Posted: 9/7/2001 9:56:26 AM EDT
[#25]
I just got off the phone with the City of HOpe Platelet donation Center. Here is the story on the frequency of donating PLATELETEs, you can donate every 48 HOURS, i.e. every 2 days.  I got this info straigt from the platelet donation center City of Hope, Duarte(626/301-3856), Calif(20miles w. of L.A.) per U.S. Food & Drug Admin. rules according to the lady.

I contacted the American Red Cross Direct Donation at 800/696-1757, and they said that the doctor must make a request in writing on THEIR form and fax back to Red Cross, then you can make arrangement to at a local Red Cross center to donate the platelets.  There is no charge to the donor, because the recepeint's insurance will be billed.  
Link Posted: 9/7/2001 12:57:22 PM EDT
[#26]
I'm A+, no chem, and can donate blood or platetets, but in sunny So. Cal.

Hope you find enough local donors.
Link Posted: 9/7/2001 7:39:38 PM EDT
[#27]
Damn, I'm O-.  Wish I could help.

[):)]
NSF
Link Posted: 9/8/2001 11:38:48 AM EDT
[#28]
I have worked in a Blood Bank as a Blood Bank Tech for going on 10 years now.

For every Noah, there are probably 1000 just like him all over the country.  It is nice to designate donations for him, but there is always a need in EVERY community for blood.  Even if you are not A+, you should still do your part.  Each blood center has different regulations and requirements for "Designated Donation" units.  If someone finds out the requirements at Noah's Hospital and the Blood Supplier for that hospital, units may be able to be shipped in--especially if a large # of units are all coming from the same area.  Generally it is considered a Prescription by Noah's Doctor to have a Designated Donation drawn, so it may have to go through that Doctor for a blanket Prescription (it may even have to be faxed to the donor center you are donating at).  Even a request from the family member as Echo mentioned may not be enough to get the blood sent.

Donations of Whole Blood are usually every 45 days, and the Whole Blood is separated into Platelets, Packed Red Blood Cells and Plasma.  Even though Noah needs platelets now, he will probably need Red Cells too.  

Pheresis Platelets are another option--they are drawn by attaching you to a machine that removes the platelets from your circulation, and returns the other parts of the blood back to you.  This can be done much more frequently--the Two days mentioned earlier.  Each Pheresis platelet is the equivalent of 6 to 8 of the platelets recovered from a unit of Whole Blood (i.e. it is a whole adult dose of platelets for a person undergoing surgery, chemo/bone marrow transplant, etc).  This would probably be AT least 2 doses for Noah, if not more, and he is probably using 2-4 per day.  The process of drawing Pheresis Platelets takes significantly longer to do, but is also vitally needed.

I got a call last night from a Liver Transplant Coordinator about a possible Liver Transplant later today.  Fortunately one of our blood suppliers has recovered their stock after the holiday, and can provide sufficient products for the Transplant--the other supplier is still short.  It would have been a shame to have to tell a 45 y.o. Woman that she WON'T get a chance at a longer life because someone didn't donate over the holiday.  And it gets a hell of a lot worse over Christmas/New Years.

So, my point being--it doesn't matter what your type--DONATE regularly.  Your donation will take about 2 days to be fully disease tested and ready for use.  Platelets are only good for 5 days after drawing, so they are always in short supply.  Red cells are good for about 42 days depending on the additive, and plasma is good for one year.  By the time you sign up and donate and get your unit of blood tested, it may be too late for an accident victim, surgery case gone bad, etc.

Noah is probably becoming refractory (i.e. he "chews up" the platelets as they are infused) to platelets.  Soon, if not now, he will have to have crossmatched and/or HLA matched platelets.  Hopefully, and with prayers, he will do well and not need them.  If he does, the blood center needs a LARGE stock of platelets to crossmatch and/or HLA type to get the best match for him.  

Link Posted: 9/8/2001 2:09:03 PM EDT
[#29]
Echo,...A few years back the daughter of one of the captains with the fire dept I work for needed blood,(she also suffers leukemia)
A blood drive was started, and as I recall we were able to donate in her behalf even if we were not her blood type. (Obviously the wrong type blood did not go to her) but we were told it earned her "credits", or something like that toward the blood she needed. I will see if I can find out more about how it actually worked out. And you might want to look into it.
Link Posted: 9/8/2001 2:57:54 PM EDT
[#30]
Quoted:
Noah is probably becoming refractory (i.e. he "chews up" the platelets as they are infused) to platelets.  Soon, if not now, he will have to have crossmatched and/or HLA matched platelets.  Hopefully, and with prayers, he will do well and not need them.  If he does, the blood center needs a LARGE stock of platelets to crossmatch and/or HLA type to get the best match for him.
View Quote

Let add, from a pamphlet in the blood donation waiting room at the City of Hope, that unlike blood, people are classified according to the HLA-type for platelets, and that it can come from different blood groups.  I donate platelets regularly at the City of Hope as a matter of a "concerned citizen."
Link Posted: 9/8/2001 7:50:55 PM EDT
[#31]
 WE'VE GOT PLATELETS! The word has gotten out here locally, and the immediate crisis has ended. Noah still needs the platelets, but it is believed that we can keep him supplied from local Directed Donations (part of the problem was caused by the 3 day weekend I was told). If you are here in South Florida you still can (and PLEASE DO!!) make a Directed Donation to Noah Sinko at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital (Memorial Hospital) In Hollywood, FL. The number for the bloodbank there is (954)986-6302.
 Noah's Father wants me to express his gratitude for everyone's concern and prayers, he was moved when I told him I had more than 20 people from Maryland to California who were willing to donate & ship to help Noah.
 If your not local & still want to show your support for Noah & the rest of the Sinko family cards can be sent to
Noah Sinco(PICU)
c/o Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital
3501 Johnson St.
Hollywood FL. 33021
 I did the Pheresis this morning along with one of my friends.  We sat in the nice comfy recliners & watched Verticle Limit while we donated. My friend is A+ so his platlets go to Noah but our local center dose accept "credits" so Noah benifeted from my AB- as well.
Thanks again guys for all the support, my faith in humanity has been restored.
echo6
Link Posted: 9/8/2001 10:05:19 PM EDT
[#32]
Glad to be of service.  I am glad things worked out locally for you.  If the platelets would have needed, we would have been prepared.  As the old saying goes, "its better to have it and not need it; than to need it and not have it." Look us up in the future if you need our help.
Link Posted: 9/10/2001 5:23:48 AM EDT
[#33]
Good deal!
Link Posted: 9/10/2001 9:41:55 AM EDT
[#34]
Thanks for the good news echo6.  We will be here if you need us.

Semper Fi
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