CRYSTAL FALL—About six years ago, Marquette General Hospital began its U.P. Regional Blood Center blood drives in Iron County.

Pearl Ross retired from a career at Forest Park, where she had worked in the superintendent’s office, and Patt Kosiba retired from Forest Park, from a career as a special education teacher.

So Mike Burge, who heads the lab at Iron County Community Hospital, approached Pearl about running the newly started blood drives, and she in turn called her good friend Patt. And they’ve been running the program ever since.

“I believe in the blood drive,” Patt said. “There is a definite need, and Pearl feels the same way. The blood stays here in the U.P., and we need every resource we can get.”

“People need blood for so many reasons,” Pearl added. “And the hospitals get it from the blood drives. The U.P. Regional Blood Center supplies blood to U.P. hospitals, for U.P. residents.”

There are four or five blood drives here in Crystal Falls each year, but the pair work at it year ‘round. As soon as a drive is over, Pearl fills out the paperwork and gets it up to Marquette. They let her know which dates are open for the next drive, Pearl calls Patt to see which dates work for her, and they plan the next event.

Plans include calling United Lutheran Church, which generously donates the use of their basement, and contacting volunteers Arlene Dalpra and Charlotte Grandahl, who take donor’s vital statistics. Members of the Crystal Falls Lions Club have been helping to set up. And Pearl begins calling past donors to schedule their appointments.

“We can use every type of blood,” Patt noted, “and donating doesn’t take longer than a half hour. When you come in, Pearl will help you with the paperwork and forms, Arlene or Char will take your vitals, then you meet with a nurse before walking over to a donor site.”

Patt’s job is segmenting the blood. The blood is drawn through a tube and into a bag. Once the donation is completed, Patt seals off the tube in short pieces which can then be separated and tested or used. Meanwhile, the donor can relax with others while enjoying cookies and juice.

“I didn’t know what to expect when I volunteered to help,” Patt admitted, “because I’ve never donated blood. I donate my time instead. So this was a whole new experience.

“It’s a lot of fun, very worthwhile, and we visit with everyone who comes in. If you’re a first time donor, I’ll chat with you to get your mind off of it. And the nurses from Marquette are very good and will make it a pleasant experience,” Patt added.

“It’s more fun than it is work,” Pearl added. “I enjoy talking to people when I schedule their appointments, and I enjoy visiting with them when they come in to donate. Some people are anxious about donating, but we help them relax.”

When planning blood drives, no one has a specific goal in mind, but Marquette is happy with 25 donations.

“I’d like to see 50 donations,” Patt shared. “We had 48 once, and that was pretty exciting. And I’d like to see the Forest Park seniors come in and donate.”

Burge explained for each blood donation, the plasma and the cells are separated, so each unit can be used for different purposes. Accident victims, chemotherapy patients and transfusion needs are just a few examples.

Over the past year, the U.P. Regional Blood Center received 150 units of blood from Iron County and 12,000 units from the entire U.P. Of those donations, 520 red blood cells were transfused at ICCH and 10,854 were transfused U.P.-wide. Fresh frozen plasma transfused at ICCH were 84 and U.P.-wide 3,281. And there were 57 platelet transfuses in ICCH and 1,068 total.

Yoopers very generously donated 12,000 units (pints) last year. But distributed among 13 hospitals, there is always a continued need. It is estimated only 5 percent of those eligible to donate blood, do so.

The next U.P. Regional Blood Center drive will be Wednesday, May 7, at United Lutheran Church from 1 to 5:15 p.m. Call Pearl at 875-3197 or Patt at 875-3187. Walk-ins are always welcome.

“No matter how you volunteer,” Pearl shared, “it gives you a good feeling to help people. You don’t see who receives the blood, but they are thankful that it’s there.”