Red Cross collections technician Beth Salmons prepares Burton Osborne of Piney Creek for his blood donation during Monday's blood drive at the Sparta VFW. Osborne completed 15 gallons (120 pints) with the pint he gave Monday. Regular blood donations run in the family: Osborne's son, Phillip Osborne, donated his 115th pint later that day.

Blood drive surpasses goal

The American Red Cross Wilkes-Alleghany chapter held another successful blood drive in Sparta Monday.

Russ Pearson, the chapter's executive director, said 58 people registered to donate blood, and 53 pints were collected. The goal for the day's drive was 50 pints. "We got three over our goal, which was excellent, good efficiency there," he said.

Sponsored by the Sparta Lions Club, the drive was held at the Bruce Wayne Osborne Post No. 7034 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Low hemoglobin, high blood pressure, a high pulse rate or a fever are reasons some who register to donate blood are disqualified from doing so. Pearson said some new FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) guidelines are eliminating about 10 percent of potential donors nationwide. Those restrictions are to guard against the risk of "Mad Cow Disease" (not to be confused with hoof and mouth disease, said Pearson). Anyone who has spent a total of more than three months in the British Isles, or more than six months in the rest of Europe, since 1980 cannot donate blood. That time is cumulative and could include one trip or a combination of trips.

The hazard is that one might have eaten contaminated beef while overseas. Present blood testing will not detect the disease, he said, and it may stay dormant for years until it becomes active.

"The Food and Drug Administration has said we cannot afford to take any chances with the safety of our blood supply," said Pearson. "Eventually we will develop a test that will show this stuff."

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