FORT HOOD, Texas (ASBP, April 13, 2011) " During her ten months in Iraq, Sgt. Francine Krohn stuck her arm out for her buddies time and time again. She was a regular apheresis donor with the blood detachment at the Balad Airbase, in Iraq.
“There was a mass casualty and they announced over the Balad intercom that they needed blood for wounded Soldiers and civilians,” said Krohn. “So I just went down there to see if they needed my blood type and if I even qualified. Thankfully I was able to! After that, I was donating anywhere from once to twice a week and my platelet count was high enough that I was able to donate double!”
Apheresis is a modern, automated form of blood donation that uses a technical process to filter and recycle a blood donation. Only the necessary component is removed from a donor’s system and the rest of the substance is returned to the donor.
The Robertson Blood Center at Fort Hood has been designated an Army Center of Excellence for apheresis and is in need of donors weekly. Diane Holloway, master trainer of the program said “, we have appointments each Monday through Thursday, but its especially important that collect on Monday and Thursday to supply our hospital.
While the Robertson Blood Center serves as a training point for deploying troops, the center is also charged with the mission to collect and provide platelets at their local military hospital.
Krohn reminds others “, I thought that is was important not only because if it were me I would want someone to help me out. Also because I felt that there were people out on the front lines that had a more dangerous job then me and I felt like I owed it to them. Like I did my part!”
There are a variety of incentives to donate platelets at the Robertson Blood Center. According to Holloway “, we take really good care of our platelet donors. If they make and keep four appointments, we recommend them for a certificate of achievement. That can be worth five promotion points to a young Soldier. We really appreciate our donors.”
As master technicians, the trainers at Robertson Blood Center work hard to make each donor comfortable. For Sgt. Krohn, the process was not her favorite part. “I have a fear of needles but I overcame that for the better good of my fellow service members!”
She knows that she made a real difference in people’s lives. “I know that I saved a Soldier and a young civilian boy! That's all that matters to me! I saved lives, it doesn't matter to me how but I assisted!”
Because such a targeted amount is collected from each donor, donations may be made much more frequently- every two weeks " up to twenty-four times a year. With each apheresis collecting the same amount of platelets as six whole blood donations, that can be the equivalent of 144 blood donations, which would take over twenty years to contribute.
Although Sgt. Krohn is deferred from donating for a year since she left Iraq, when asked by email if she would consider donating again, she replied “, without hesitation!!!”
To find out more about the Armed Services Blood Program or to make an appointment, please visit us online: www.militaryblood.dod.mil. To interact directly with some of our staff or to get the latest news, visit us here: www.facebook.com/militaryblood
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