Tales from the Lab #13: A Story of Weird Blood

This story starts in a lab where I worked, but moves beyond it pretty quickly. Since it’s science-related, it fits well enough into the “Tales from the Lab” series. This story is also very personal for me, and not something I regularly share. And the timing of this story is apt, since January is national blood donor month.

Back in 2012, I worked in a lab that did microbiology testing for organ/tissue donation centers. I loved that job, and there are still days I wish I was there. It was important work and one that had significant impact on countless lives. I tested samples to see what, if any, microbes were present, most from cadaver donors. It was to ensure nothing objectionable was found so the tissues could then be transplanted. I also did some testing on live donor samples to qualify them for things like kidney donation.

Because of the industry, the company hosted annual blood drives. Now, prior to about 2010, I was listed as ineligible for donation. I have sickle cell trait, and at that time, it was an automatic disqualifier. But that restriction was lifted, and in 2012, I donated blood for the first time.

I’ve always loved the notion of helping in that manner. Blood, organs, and tissues are so important to those with critical illness or severe injuries.

For me, the experience was better than I’d anticipated. Doctors and nurses always have a difficult time getting to the veins in my elbows (they tend to roll), so that was the worst part. Once it started, I got a 20 minute “break” while they collected blood, then free cookies and orange juice afterward. Not too bad.

I didn’t donate again until around 2018, when the company I then worked for held another drive. I signed up again. The donation center was not the same as the one I went to previously (this is important later in my story.) That experience was a little less fun; I was light-headed for a time afterward, but I recovered. Maybe the free cookies helped.

Anyway, let’s fast forward to last month. I got an unexpected phone call from the first donation center, concerned about my upcoming scheduled appointment. It needed to be canceled because I was listed as “permanently deferred,” meaning I’m ineligible to donate with their center again.

I had to stop the woman I spoke with immediately—I hadn’t made any appointments. She was a little confused, verified all my information, and when I said it was correct, she admitted maybe there was a mix-up in their system. It’s 100% possible that was the case. There is another person with the same first, middle, and last name married into the family. I promised to check with her and ask her to call the donation center if it was her appointment they were trying to cancel. (She didn’t make the appointment either. This is the trouble with having a common name.)

As I said before, I believe blood donation is incredibly important. I didn’t want this mix-up to potentially ruin a willing donor’s chance to help someone in need, and I wanted to help as much as I could to clear up the confusion.

But before I hung up, I asked her why I was marked as permanently deferred.

“Well,” she said, “you have sickle cell trait. When you donated last time, your blood sickled so much it clogged the filters. We couldn’t use it. It happens sometimes. We encourage people with trait to donate because about half the time, we can use it, but unfortunately, your blood is in that other half.”

Ugh. I was disappointed, but part of me felt a little less guilty about my lapses in donating over the years. It wouldn’t have mattered.

It was an odd way to learn about my status, but at least now I know.

Later that day, I called my brother to discuss it with him. The whole experience unsettled me out a bit, and I needed to talk about it. We’ve always joked that I have “weird” blood, but now it’s extra weird.

He told me he’s a “power red,” one of those people who can donate twice the number of red blood cells as the normal person each time he goes in. And he does it as often as he can, which is great. He kind of makes up for my inability to donate at all.

But the fact remains that there is always a need for donated blood, and it hurts me to know I can’t help with that. So I encourage everyone who can donate to do so. The recipients won’t know you were involved, but you might just save their life. That’s worth 20 minutes and free cookies, right?

January is national blood donor month. For those interested in the US, here’s a link from the Red Cross to find the nearest donation center or blood drive: Give Blood. Find a Drive.