St. Benedict Church sponsors blood drive

Thanks to the blood donated by strangers, Melinda Evans had three more precious weeks with her husband and children. And they with her.
Melinda was diagnosed with cancer a few weeks after her third child was born. The young and vivacious mother underwent radiation therapy and vowed to fight the battle for her three small children and husband Mark.
To her dismay, she was losing the fight. She eventually had to rely on daily transfusions to stay alive.
“It seemed like they put gallons of blood into her day after day … to support her body with these blood products,” Mark said.
Mark learned that blood was not necessary just to save lives in emergencies and in the operating room. In his case, it could also be used to buy more time for his wife and to prolong and preserve the memory of his family.
He said he was grateful for every drop of donated blood and the time it made possible for his family to be together a little longer.
“I’m convinced that Melinda wouldn’t have lasted more than a day or so without the blood donations,” Mark said. “It gave us a few more weeks to love each other and to share more time together.”
Melinda died in 2007, leaving behind her husband and three children, Marli 6, Marcus, 4, and Manning, 18 months.
It took 178 pints of blood to sustain Melinda during those harsh times. Throughout her tribulation, Oklahoma Blood Institute ensured blood was available for her.
OBI is one of the 10 largest non-profit regional blood centers in the United States. It projects a need for 220,000 units of blood yearly and provides transfusion blood products and clinical services to 125 medical facilities in Oklahoma and north central Texas, including Unity Health Center in Shawnee. 
OBI maintains its inventory via blood drives organized in partnership with community organizations, churches, civic clubs, schools, businesses and other sites. Because of the limited shelf life of blood components, there is a constant need to replenish blood supply. For example, red blood cells must be used within 42 days and platelets within five days of collection. This need is often exacerbated in the wake of catastrophic accidents, natural disasters and outbreaks of diseases.
OBI also reports that its blood reserves are typically more acute during the summer months because most people are preoccupied with vacations, travels and other summer activities.
In response to OBI’s appeal for blood during the summer, St. Benedict Catholic Church in Shawnee is sponsoring a community-wide blood drive from 9 a.m. to noon Sunday at the Benedict Center, 632 N. Kickapoo.
St. Benedict Church in Shawnee routinely organizes blood drives in conjunction with OBI. The church conducts a drive about every three months.
Anyone at least 17 years of age and weighing a minimum of 105 pounds is eligible to donate. Potential donors are advised to eat a well-balanced meal and increase fluid intake prior to donating. Aspirin should be avoided 48 hours before donation.
Donors will receive a mini-physical, which includes blood pressure, body temperature, pulse rate and iron level check for anemia. OBI also will offer free tests for blood typing and cholesterol measurement to all donors. 
Male donors can opt to have a PSA, a screening test for prostate cancer, for $15.
As an added incentive, donors will receive a free drawstring backpack.
People are required to show a photo ID before they can donate.