THE GIFT OF LIFE: HOLIDAY DONORS IN SHORT SUPPLY

It's tough to get through the holidays with both one's pocketbook and sanity intact.

But the American Red Cross encourages longtime and new donors to add one more gift to their lists. This gift, not found in catalogs or stores, takes about an hour to give. Located inside the giver, its value can't be measured in dollars and cents.

The present is blood, the gift of life.

David Palmer, who schedules and organizes all the blood drives in this area, said people who don't have money or new toys to donate can usually donate a unit of blood.

"There are people who say they don't like needles or having their fingers poked, but they are still out there helping," Palmer said. "Others are regular donors who come out as often as they can. We know some of them by name."

While there is no monetary compensation given at area blood drives, donors receive miniature physicals, featuring checks of their blood pressure, temperature, pulse and hemoglobin levels. The best benefit, however, is the donor's feeling of helping a stranger in need, Palmer said.

Also, people should remember that, while only 5 percent of the population gives blood, 95 percent will receive whole blood or a blood product by the age of 72.

Many people are receiving that blood during the holiday season. At the same time donors are too busy to give, there are more serious traffic and at-home accidents. Alan Koeppel, who delivers blood to area hospitals, said the Red Cross went through a tough time over the last month.

"As soon as we would get something in, it would go back out, especially O-positive and O-negative," he said. "Demand just let up during the last few days."

Still, the supply is in Code Yellow, which means it is approaching dangerously low levels. Last year after Christmas, the supply was at Code Red levels. People had to postpone surgery and wait for blood to come from other areas.

Palmer, the blood drive organizer, said that if people will turn out to give blood during the two-week period around Christmas and New Year's, things should be OK. January is National Blood Donor Month, and the promotions bring in more first-time donors.

The American Red Cross made January a special month for donors because it's the highest month for blood usage. The weather is still bad, so traffic accidents abound. Many people put off surgery until after the busy holidays, or they want to take care of their medical insurance deductible early in the year.

Blood donated now will be processed and on the shelves by busy January. A laboratory in St. Louis tests the blood for various diseases before it goes back to Red Cross banks.

There will be several opportunities for people to donate in January and during any month.

"Christmas and New Year's Day are about the only days Missouri-Illinois Regional Blood Services doesn't collect on," Palmer said. "Almost every other day of the year, we're having blood drives somewhere in the region."