I got an email from a trusted reader today I beg you to read:
I’m passing along the following message in case you should see fit to publicize this request on your blog. It comes on behalf of Sonia Lee, a 2006 graduate of Princeton University, who has an advanced case of acute leukemia. After a round of chemotherapy, her cancer currently is in remission, and she needs a bone marrow transplant. More immediately, though, her treatment has severely damaged her lungs and she is in urgent need of blood. Apparently, the relevant type is in chronically short supply in Korea, and none was available this weekend, as a result of which she nearly died. I received news of this through the local Princeton Alumni network and tried to donate blood this morning, as I have the identical type; but my offer was rejected on account of my age. This seems preposterous to me, especially as it was justified by the nurse in charge as “being against Korean law”. Anyway, Sonia needs a supply of Type A blood, from as many as 10 donors, preferably males in their 20s or 30s. Anyone who can step up should call her sister Christine (010-9212-1830) to make arrangements to visit St Mary’s Hospital in Yeouido. Thanks.
Here’s a copy of the original message:
We found out that Sonia’s lungs have begun to bleed again, and further discovered that they have not been giving her the necessary amount of platelet infusions. Sonia needs platelets because they help blood to clot. Her platelet count is very low. We are told that they have simply run out of compatible platelets to give her. The danger is that she will drown from the blood in her lungs, or that she will suffer a stroke from bleeding in the brain.
Please, please, if you are in Korea or can get in touch with people in Korea, ask people with Type A blood to donate platelets to Sonia.
Please pass along this information:
To donate:
(1) You must be of type A blood. It doesn’t matter if you are A- or A+.
(2) If you fall into any of the following categories, you may NOT
donate:
(a) If you have traveled in Asia during the past year;
(b) If you served in the army anywhere north of Seoul;
(c) If you are from Ilsan.
(3) You must go to 여의도 성모 병원 (St. Mary’s Catholic
University Hospital), near the 육삼 building, to donate. All cab
drivers in the city know where it is. At the hospital, tell them that
you are donating 혈소판 (platelets) for 이지혜 (Yi Ji Hae, Sonia
Lee), who is in the 중환자실 (intensive care unit).
It would be extremely helpful if you could call beforehand to let my family know you are coming, so they can meet you and help with the process. They will be certain to be there. Here is their mobile phone
information:
My sister Christine (for English speakers): 010-9212-1830
My mother: 010-7706-1630
My father: 019-412-1631
19 Comments
Yes, preposterous that the elder reader couldn’t donate blood to save a life. Good luck to her.
BTW, does it really matter that she’s an alumna of Princeton?
According to this, donors have to have resided in Korea for at least one year. Anyone have any idea whether that’s a matter of law? Something they can waive under exigent circumstances?
Umm… isn’t Korea something like 72% Type-A blood? How can there be a shortage of Type-A right now?
And “too old to donate” smells fishy. The term “relevant type” could use some elaboration.
Seoulout:
The sisters do not have the same blood type; nor are they compatible bone marrow donors. I happened to learn of the situation through the PU Alumni list, that’s all; sorry if it offends you that a Princetonian might need help.
Ut videam:
The residency requirement was more than satisfied; the problem was the age of the would-be donor, i.e. >50
1) I think the Princton alumni connection was given merely to explain the “audit trail” of how the emailer came to know of the problem. Thus (presumably) to enhance the credibility of the request.
2) American Red Cross rules for blood donor eligibility:
http://www.redcross.org/servic.....0.html#cjd
I mention this because there may be some here who haven’t tried to give blood in a long time. If you served in US military and were stationed overseas at various periods in the 80’s/90’s, you are ineligibel (under US rules) to donate blood because of “variant Creutzfeld-Jacob” (mad cow).
Quote follows, if ROK follows these rules the restrictions would presumably apply to many other non-US-military “international” readers here:
In-Depth Discussion of Variant Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease and Blood Donation
In some parts of the world, cattle can get an infectious, fatal brain disease called Mad Cow Disease. In these same locations, humans have started to get a new disease called variant Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease (vCJD) which is also a fatal brain disease. Scientists believe that vCJD is Mad Cow Disease that has somehow transferred to humans, possibly through the food chain.
There is now evidence from a small number of case reports involving patients and laboratory animal studies that vCJD can be transmitted through transfusion. There is no test for vCJD in humans that could be used to screen blood donors and to protect the blood supply. This means that blood programs must take special precautions to keep vCJD out of the blood supply by avoiding collections from those who have been where this disease is found.
At this time, the American Red Cross donor eligibility rules related to vCJD are as follows:
You are not eligible to donate if:
From January 1, 1980, through December 31, 1996, you spent (visited or lived) a cumulative time of 3 months or more, in the United Kingdom (UK), or
From January 1, 1980, to present, you had a blood transfusion in any country(ies) in the (UK). The UK includes any of the countries listed below.
Channel Islands
England
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar
Isle of Man
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Wales
You were a member of the of the U.S. military, a civilian military employee, or a dependent of a member of the U.S. military who spent a total time of 6 months on or associated with a military base in any of the following areas during the specified time frames
From 1980 through 1990 - Belgium, the Netherlands (Holland), or Germany
From 1980 through 1996 - Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Italy or Greece.
You spent (visited or lived) a cumulative time of 5 years or more from January 1, 1980, to present, in any combination of country(ies) in Europe, including
in the UK from 1980 through 1996 as listed in above
on or associated with military bases as described above, and
in other countries in Europe as listed below:
Albania
Austria
Montenegro (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
Belgium
Bosnia/Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Norway
Poland
Czech Republic
Denmark
Romania
Finland
France
Slovak Republic (Slovakia)
Germany
Greece
Spain
Hungary
Ireland (Republic of)
Italy
Kosovo (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Netherlands (Holland)
Portugal
Serbia (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Yugoslavia (Federal Republic includes Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia)
Seouledout:
Let me retract some of the snarkiness in my previous. I initially read your remark about the “elder” to mean one of the sisters rather than yours truly. ( Of course, I’m feeling pretty chuffed to be an “elder”; everyone loitering in the Mamrot’s Hole may now start using the appropriate Korean honorifics when addressing me.)
Seriously, though, I hope other people will step up. If someone has some pull at the 121, I’d be willing to trade them a couple of pints of my vintage red for some of the younger years sent to Sonia.
However — no American Red Cross rule on upper age limits, so I guess it’s up to those you resident in ROK to learn what their rules are:
American Red Cross rule on age:
“Age
You must be at least 17 years old to donate to the general blood supply, or 16 years old if allowed by state law. Learn more about the reasons for a lower age limit. There is no upper age limit for blood donation as long as you are well with no restrictions or limitations to your activities.”
#3 - Sperwer:
I was asking in regards to myself. I meet all the other requirements, but I’ve only been here about 9 months. I was a regular donor before I came over here, and I’d only be too happy to help out in this case if possible.
Paul:
Thanks for all that, but re age the hospital has specified that donors must be under 50, preferably in 20s or 30s and, even more inexplicably, preferably male.
UV:
Got it. Don’t know if the Korean Red Cross rule re residency applies, but suspect so as the hospital folks did ask me about that. Best to check with the family by calling the number.
I’m not sure why adult women aren’t preferred, but one of my high school students told me her male classmates had given blood one day. The reason it was only males, she said, was because of possible low levels of iron in females due to menstration. I’m not sure if this applied only to teenage girls, or what the age cut-off was for this.
This post has more information, taken from the Korea Herald:
even a Korean national has to show that they have continuously resided in the country for at least one year before they are allowed to make a donation. No overseas trips allowed. No exceptions, 365 days minimum without a break, he said.
If true, this would probably disqalify a lot of people.
“Of course, I’m feeling pretty chuffed to be an “elder”; everyone loitering in the Mamrot’s Hole may now start using the appropriate Korean honorifics when addressing me.”
Do you think your wife would object if I called you Oppa? ;
Well, if we’re going to that level, yeah, as long as the lads use “hyung-nim”, mo-yah? (I once busted up a room of middle-aged Koreans by giving one of the gang-pae penguin, “hyung-nim”, bow/salutes to the one of my wife’s distributors who is older than me. The other, unaffiliated Koreans in the room appeared to be pleased that an apparent Korean knucklehead seemed to be getting respect from one of his Russian or Italian cousins.) The best part was that afterwards we had a lot more elbow room on the beach than otherwise would have been the case.
Well, if we’re going to that level, no, as long as the lads use “hyung-nim”, mo-yah? (I once busted up a room of middle-aged Koreans by giving one of the gang-pae penguin, “hyung-nim”, bow/salutes to the one of my wife’s distributors who is older than me. The other, unaffiliated Koreans in the room appeared to be pleased that an apparent Korean knucklehead seemed to be getting respect from one of his Russian or Italian cousins.) The best part was that afterwards we had a lot more elbow room on the beach than otherwise would have been the case.
i pretty much fit the description, but i’m nowhere near korea
I’m B type, so I couldn’t help even if I wanted too.
Which I don’t.
A-type women are often over-bearing and selfish. They have a tendency to cook food high in cholesterol and hum to themselves when they don’t think anybody is listening.
My ex-wife is A-type.
AB women are much more inclined to enjoy horse riding and sunsets.(My new wife)
They are also the most generous, unfortunately generosity is not a useful trait in this case as the blood itself is what is required.
Anyway, I went to UCSD.
#16.
What the ****!?
There are plenty of things to be sarcastic or ironic about. A person bleeding to death on a hospital bed isn’t one of those things.
Girlfriend got the good idea of putting this up on facebook. Guess you could do it on myspace and naver.
Koreans travel a lot so that might exclude a good number of donors, and I’m sure with 50 mil on the ROK that blood is in high demand.
#16 You’re a douche bag. Nice of you to throw UCSD in there, I’m sure my friends will be glad to see you represent. Class act you are.
This is ridiculous. According to Wikipedia, 34.4% of the country is A+ blood type, being the most common. There cannot be a shortage!
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