Cheyenne Mountain employees donate five gallons of blood

Published May 14, 2010
By Monica Mendoza
21st Space Wing Public Affairs staff writer

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- There had not been a blood drive at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station since 9/11.

Col. Rusty Wilson, 721st Mission Support Group commander, decided it was time. When the call went out to the Cheyenne Mountain employees asking for a pint of their blood, they answered. Nearly 45 people stepped up to donate at the May 4 blood drive. Some folks were turned away, either because of travel or illness, but they could potentially give at the next drive.

When Memorial Health System Blood Bank left the mountain, they had 39 viable pints of blood. The way Staff Sgt. Daniel Green, 21st Medical Group independent duty medical technician, sees it, that blood is enough to save 117 lives. The collected blood will be used at Memorial hospitals, but is available to other area hospitals if they need it.

"One pint could save three people," Sergeant Green said.

Sergeant Green explains: one pint of blood is divided into the packed red blood cells, platelets and plasma. Platelets, which cause blood to clot, are used to help people with bleeding disorders. Plasma helps maintain blood pressure. And red blood cells are used for surgeries; for example, the average liver transplant patient needs 40 units of red blood.

"It's amazing when you think about it," Sergeant Green said.

Kathy Hook, Memorial Health System Blood Bank donor resource coordinator, was impressed by the turnout. Since her team had not been to CMAFS for nearly 10 years, she wasn't sure what to expect.

Setting up a blood drive at Cheyenne Mountain is no easy task. Security checks were completed on the 13 blood bank employees - screeners, nurses, people to set up the equipment - and screening was completed on all of the equipment. Sergeant Green worked on logistics since February.

The results were the best of any typical blood drive, Ms. Hook said. In just three hours, "We were very busy," Ms. Hook said. "It was very successful."

Ms. Hook asked Cheyenne Mountain to consider being an Emergency Blood Drive Donor site, where during a state or national crisis blood bank officials set up blood drives quickly in locations with a proven high number of donors. Colonel Wilson said he will consider the request after he learns more about what is required.

In the meantime, Colonel Wilson said he looks forward to the next blood drive at CMAFS.

"This blood drive was a whole mountain effort, "Colonel Wilson said. "Our mission partners really stepped up and we look forward to their continued support for future efforts and we will look for opportunities to maximize participation."

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