Shout Out!

Assalam-u-Alaikum Folks!

Below is a copy of an email I received yesterday urging for people to donate blood as there seems to be a drastic shortage of blood products this month. So please, try to donate if you can! I would be happy to book an appointment for you or find the closest donation clinic in your area. The weather is splendid, why not do something good while your out there!

Jazakallah Khairun

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Dear Syed:

Send this message to 10 friends, and you could help save lives!

There is an immediate need for donors of all blood types across the country. The need is even more urgent for type O-negative blood. Within the next week, we need an additional 2,000 Canadians to help meet the blood needs of patients. Every blood donation can help save up to three lives - that's the beauty of giving blood! We need your help to spread the word! Please send this message to at least 10 of your friends.

We encourage you to book an appointment to donate blood by calling 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283), and if you already have THANK YOU!

Some fast facts:

We serve over 700 hospitals across the country.
Every 60 seconds, someone in Canada requires blood or a blood product!
While walk-ins are welcome, appointments are preferable as they help us better plan our clinics. Please call 1 888 2 DONATE
(1-888-236-6283) today!

Thank you for helping to save lives!

Regards,
Your friends at Canadian Blood Services!

PS - Forwarding this message to 10 friends could make a life-saving difference to 30 people waiting for blood or blood products!

it's in you to give
1 888 2 DONATE
www.blood.ca

World Blood Donor Day

Assalam-u-Alaikum!

I pray that everyone is doing well. I was just reading the news and apparently Canada has been chosen to represent World Blood Donor Day on June 14, 2007 by the World Health Organization, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, International Society of Blood Transfusion and International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations. Canadian Blood Services and Hema-Quebec will work in conjunction with Health Canada to thank blood donors around the world for their selfless gift, and to raise awareness for the universal need for safe blood and blood products. The following information has been extracted from Canadian NewsWire:

World Blood Donor Day was officially designated as an annual event by the World Health Assembly in 2005. It has been hosted previously in the United Kingdom, and Thailand. About 60 per cent of the global blood supply is donated in developed countries where less than 20 per cent of the world's population live-this leaves many countries with acute blood shortages. Less than a quarter of countries have achieved 100 per cent voluntary blood donation. Many countries still depend to varying degrees on blood donation by the friends or family of a patient needing transfusion and, in some countries, some donors are still paid to give blood.

"Increasing the number of voluntary blood donors to give blood regularly is important all around the world," says Dr. Neelam Dhingra, Coordinator, Blood Transfusion Safety, World Health Organization. "While June 14th is a special day, World Blood Donor Day is part of a larger international campaign to ensure safe blood will always be available to every patient who needs transfusion as part of their treatment."

In Canada, World Blood Donor Day falls within National Blood Donor Week which is celebrated by events in towns and cities across the country.
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Congratulations to all those people who helped save lives through donating blood, may Allah grant you success in this life and in the hereafter. And may He help the rest of us in committing such noble deeds.

Peace.

Summer's here... Where are you?

Assalam-u-Alaikum Folks!

My apologies for not posting for about a month, I could get into the excuses but that would be pointless :-) . Anywhoo, I received a letter from CBS (Canadian Blood Services) a few weeks ago urging to donate this summer. While the need for blood exists throughout the year, why does CBS place a special emphasis over this particular season?

Well quite simply put, it is because fewer people donate over the summer period, due to the fact that many are vacationing or out enjoying the sun and making their own summer memories. Therefore it is imperative that we try to donate blood this summer as soon as we can, as it can help save countless lives.

Now wouldn't that be a great summer memory?

My Bad!

Assalam-u-Alaikum Folks,

Sorry for not being able to post for the past week, just been busy with exams and end of the school-year stuff! I am working on some stuff for the website and will post them up right after exams inshAllah, which is the 15th of April for me. My apologies once again..

For Me?? Why Thank You!!

Assalam-u-Alaikum!

Hope everyone is doing well. Have you ever considered what kind of benefits you might be getting from donating blood? Well, recent studies have shown that there might be certain physical benefits attached to blood donation.

We all know that our blood contains iron; iron is an important nutrient for your body and for your health. It helps your cells "breathe". Iron works with protein to make the hemoglobin in red blood cells. The hemoglobin carries oxygen to all parts of the body so it can perform its normal functions. The body stores iron in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. A study was conducted comparing people who donate blood to people who do not. The research entailed in analyzing if having high levels of iron in your blood has anything to do with heart disease. The results were astounding! This should get everyone to donate blood! :-) Check it out...

Mild iron deficiency has been hypothesised to reduce risk of heart disease risk, while a high concentration of body iron has been suggested as a risk factor for myocardial infarction.

In the 24 months before the baseline examinations 153 (5.7%) of the 2682 participants had donated blood. During follow up, one (0.7%) of the donors experienced an acute myocardial infarction compared with 226 (9.8%) of the 2529 non-donors (P<0.001>1) shows that, in a multivariate model adjusted for the main coronary risk factors, the blood donors' risk of acute myocardial infarction was 86% less than that of the non-donors (relative risk 0.14, 95% confidence interval 0.02 to 0.97, P=0.047).

We suggest that the loss of iron associated with giving blood might be the reason for the observed risk reduction. However, voluntary blood donors seem to be generally more health conscious and more healthy than those who do not donate blood, and this may have caused self selection bias. In our study the association between donating blood and reduced risk for myocardial infarction was weakened but remained significant after adjustment for the main coronary risk factors. Our finding needs to be confirmed in other prospective population studies, and investigation of the impact of iron depletion on atherosclerotic progression or coronary events is necessary to test the above theory.

This information was collected from BMJ. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/314/7083/793#T1

Red Defender: The Super Hero!

Assalam-u-Alaikum!

Just thought I'd post this video I found. It is a commercial that the CBS and the American Blood Services use to promote blood donation. Check it out, its quite hilarious!

It's not my fault! It's my blood's!

Assalam-u-Alaikum,

I'm not much of a guy who bases people's personalities on horoscopes, predictions, DNA; but I found this information to be kinda funny so I thought I would share it with you guys.

I am not sure if you guys have heard of the Japanese blood type theory of personality. The discovery of different blood types was made in 1901 and was hailed as one of the greatest achievements in medical history. Unfortunately however, this theory was used by the Nazis to further their eugenics (a certain social philosophy) program and claim the superiority of Germans — mostly types A and O — over Jews, Asians and others who had a larger proportion of type B blood.

Masahiko Nomi wrote a book in the late 70s which tried to show the relationship between blood type and personality. This theory was quite a craze in the 30s in Japan, and as such the military tried to use this study to try and breed better soldiers. However this theory lacked scientific evidence so it was eventually thrown out. Any who, check out and see where you fall, but try your best not to blame your blood type for your personality :-) .

Check the Expiration Date!

Assalam-u-Alaikum!

We all know that there aren't enough people donating blood comparing to the amount of people that need it. While CBS (Canadian Blood Services) is funded by the government, it is important to understand the kind of pressures they are put under due to the type of management and servicing that is required. How does it make their jobs difficult you might ask? Well, putting aside the fact they have to extract blood from volunteers as safe as possible and in the most professional manner, they also have to manage the supply of blood once it has been collected. Which brings me to the issue of blood having a limited shelf life!

Platelets must be used within five days of donation, according to the Red Cross. Red blood cells may be stored under refrigeration for about 45 days. Frozen red blood cells can last up to 10 years, but it costs too much to freeze more than a small portion of the blood supply. Plasma is generally frozen and must be used within one year.

So while I would tell blood to just chill, I'm afraid its bound by time.

Peace

Dude, Where's my blood?

Assalam-u-Alaikum,

Okay.. so you just donated blood, mashAllah that's great! But now you might be wondering (that's if you already didn't know), "Umm... errr... Where's my blood going?!" Well folks..donated blood is processed into three key components: red blood cells, platelets and plasma. Those components can be used to treat a host of injuries and diseases. Here is a breakdown...

Red blood cells are used to treat trauma or surgical patients and can relieve the effects of anemia. Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and the vertebrate body's principal means of delivering oxygen from the lungs to body tissues via the blood.

Plasma, the liquid part of blood, is given to patients with clotting problems and is used in burn treatment.

Hospital staff can use plasma donations to help patients with:

Some bleeding disorders
Liver diseases
Shock
Some operations
Cancer and bone marrow therapy

Platelets clot the blood when cuts or other open wounds occur and are often used in cancer and transplant patients.

Blood: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Assalaaaaaaaaam-u-Alaikum!

Sorry for not being able to post for the past week; was occupied with some assignments. Anywhoo, I was just doing some research and I came across some interesting information.

Did you know that blood donations typically decline the first part of each year?
This causes hospitals to scramble to shore up supplies, and at times it even means delaying surgery!


Did you know one pint (455 mL) of blood can save up to 3 lives?
.................................................. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh...Sorry, I was imagining the crazy rewards I would get by giving just one pint!


Did you know that donors have contributed over 15 million units of blood (in United States) in 2001?
That same year, hospitals in the United States transfused nearly 14 million units of whole blood and red blood cells to 4.9 million patients -- an average of 38,000 units of blood needed on any given day.

Something to think about...

This information was obtained from the MedilinePlus online library, an article by HealthDay News: March 11, 2007.

Going Public!

Assalam-u-Alaikum,

BVC is finally ready to go public alhamdullah. So please spread the word to everyone you know in the GTA about this project. I sent out numerous emails yesterday and created a group on Facebook to help spread the word. But nothing can be done without your help and support! Although this is only the first step, it is the most crucial one of all... getting everyone on board. May Allah help us.

By the way, in a few days time I will inshAllah post up a standard document that you may email your friends, family, and colleagues, that will help them understand what this project is about.

JzK

Go Canada! But what took us so long?

Assalam-u-Alaikum!

I was speaking to a CBS rep today, and she was telling me that the government passed a legislature last year that gave CBS the permission to post the application for Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry online so that people can possibly join the registry that hospitals have access to if they are in need of a Bone Marrow Donor. While applying online is just the first step, it is shocking to see that Canada is the first country in the world to be able to institute online registration. The CBS rep was telling me before this system was established they would have to rely on snail mail and wait for such a long time to get registrants and process their applications by hand and then reply back to the applicant, and so forth. Even though the government has now changed its laws, it is sad to see that these steps weren't taken earlier. Well I guess better late than never right? What about the rest of the world... what's taking them so long?

Its funny, we as a society seem to adapt and advance in technology in which it pleases us the most.. while rest of the avenues such as in health care and other social problems seem to take their sweet time getting there.

Peace

Who needs blood?

Assalam-u-Alaikum Folks,


I was just visiting the Canadian Blood Services website, and I came across an interesting diagram that shows how much units of blood is required by various operations. Keep in mind that there is an increase in the diagnoses of Cancer amongst Canadians every year. So take a look....


For more information you can check out the CBS website at: http://www.blood.ca

The start of something good inshAllah

Assalam-u-Alaikum Wrb

If you are reading this...chances are that you are wanting to make a difference in your community/city by helping those that are in need. If you are part of an Islamic Organization, then you must have experienced the difficulty in getting involved with the general population and finding ways that you may be able to assist them in a very dynamic, yet vital way. As a Muslim being part of a diverse community, it sometimes becomes difficult to help those that need help, especially if their lives are hanging in the balance.

Blood. That is the answer, the need for many people in our community. There is always a considerable shortage of blood supplies in hospitals. Patients who are going under severe surgery or have suffered massive blood loss require several pints of blood. So as Muslims, shouldn't we be helping those who need it? We all know the verse in the Quran, where Allah says, “… and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind.” (Al-Ma'dah: 32)

If the reward is so immense of saving just one life, why aren't we donating blood vigorously? Hmm.. maybe its because it requires a lot of sacrifice of time and effort? Well lets see, I asked one of the regular donors in the city of Toronto, and he had this to say...

"Donating blood barely takes an hour of your time, there is absolutely no effort required on your part besides getting to the blood clinic. All you do once your there is drink juice and eat cookies, answer a few questions, and let them take a pint (450 mL) of your blood. It doesn't hurt, and its absolutely safe. By the end of it all you feel a great sense of accomplishment, that you helped save some one's life, someone who has a family...whose loved ones are praying that he/she gets better. So why wouldn't I donate blood? It seems like the most logical thing to do. In the end look at it this way, you get the reward of saving the whole of humanity by just sitting in a chair... now that's spectacular!"

Okay, so that excuse goes out the window. Hmm so there really doesn't seem to be any excuse as to why us Muslims aren't donating blood, besides the fact that if some of us are medically unable to. But still even then you could help by raising awareness amongst the community that there is a dire need for donors.

Blood Vessels Canada (BVC) as such was born with the idea to create a cohesive network within the Muslim Community, that aims at managing, organizing, and facilitating the collection of blood donors. No matter what Islamic organization/business you are part of, if you have a desire to help out your community by donating blood as one Muslim body then you've come to the right place. Blood Vessels Canada aims to provide a more systematic way of donating blood, that is regular and consistent. There are many organizations that donate blood, however the problem that arises with many of them is that there are not enough donors and it isn't done consistently enough. BVC would try to provide a service for the Muslim Community that would create a database of donors and provide the ability to book appointments with the Canadian Blood Services (CBS) in a more consistent and organized way that would prove to be a great form of Da'wah and beneficial for the whole community in general.

(Please note that the creation of BVC is not to replace any organization's existing blood donation strategy, but hoping to provide a more unified approach in gathering together to donate blood no matter what organization you may belong to. Even then, being part of the BVC database still gives anyone the ability to donate as a member of their particular organization. BVC is not an organization or a member-based group. It is simply an administrative service that hopes to provide CBS with a greater Muslim Donor Representation that is consistent and well organized.)

I would therefore like to welcome you to the home of Blood Vessels Canada, which hopes to provide one of many ways of helping the local communities. You are encouraged to participate and provide feedback whenever you see fit, as this is a group effort and cannot be done by just one individual. If you would like to be added to the list of Muslim donors, please email us at donatebvc@gmail.com, Jazakallah Khairun. May Allah Guide us to the straight path and help us to keep our intentions pure, and reward us for the effort that we might put in.

Welcome once again!