Urgent Request For O+ Blood Donors

[TALBOT983]

A call out to all to donate NOW, With the holidays comming up, the life you save might be your own.

For tourist There is a Red Cross donatiion center right next to the snake show. The snake show is given by the 2nd oldest snake research center in the world, and it is cheap.

The important part is to save a life. Oh yes that cookie at the end is free.

I bet it will be the best Pressent you can give this season.

[anon467367354]

I'm O+ and I'll donate tomorrow, good excuse to get out of the house.

This will be the second time I've answered this call in Bangkok. As a former phlebotomist, this is something we gladly do.

[animatic]

I am O rh+

and my wife is O rh- and so is her sister, they can give to anyone,

but only receive from another O rh-

But we are all on Samui and would be glad to donate if it can be arranged.

[Esther Kaufmann]

Unfortunately I am not in Thailand right now. But my blood is O+, and if this a rare thing in Thailand, I would gladly donate once I am back in Bangkok.

Anybody knows whether or not this kind of request happens more often?

Yes, unfortunately it happens quite often here and during the Tsunami it was especially bad as a lot of foreigner where in need of O+and O-. I am O- and could give anybody but when I mentioned I have a underactive thyroid problem and take hormone for that, they turned me away and since then I will not offer my blood anymore except for my friends and family because they would not mind to have a bit overdose of that particular hormone but they still alive.... I get at least one or two mails a month for blood donation for this blood type and I have forwarded this request to all my sources already so I am sure they will react quickly too. There are several privat circels around who are organized among them.

[mooshcat]

When u donate blood in Thailand you have to complete a form. One of the questions is "Have you ever visited Europe?" If you tick yes they wont take your blood. I assume it's a tit for tat because most European countries won't let people who have visited Thailand donate blood. Americans are okay though.

I only know this because I had to donate blood as part of a "Community Service" deal with the Probation Office. I didn't want to lie because it was to do with the law.

[animatic]

As I understand it most, if not all, Lisu hilltribe people are O rh negative.

So this is a good thing to know for anyone in need of this universal usage blood.

My wife sister and niece are Lisu, which is how I know this.

And they have never visited Europe,

though I am American and HAVE been to Europe.

Edited November 14, 2009 by animatic

[DickFarang]

When u donate blood in Thailand you have to complete a form. One of the questions is "Have you ever visited Europe?" If you tick yes they wont take your blood. I assume it's a tit for tat because most European countries won't let people who have visited Thailand donate blood. Americans are okay though.

I only know this because I had to donate blood as part of a "Community Service" deal with the Probation Office. I didn't want to lie because it was to do with the law.

Does that also apply to people who are born in Europe and lived there most of their live ?

[burgdawg]

...how about if one has been through cancer (thyroid) and radiation?

I tried donating in USA and they said "no way, Jose, you've had cancer.."

So what?

[mouserless]

I live at Victory Monument and I am O-.

I can go tomorrow.

[mitrapaap]

When u donate blood in Thailand you have to complete a form. One of the questions is "Have you ever visited Europe?" If you tick yes they wont take your blood. I assume it's a tit for tat because most European countries won't let people who have visited Thailand donate blood. Americans are okay though.

I only know this because I had to donate blood as part of a "Community Service" deal with the Probation Office. I didn't want to lie because it was to do with the law.

Would be interesting to know what the reason is. I'm tempted to try it out and go to donate. I am 0+, born in continental Europe and lived there for 32 years. According to the above statement they must turn me down, and I'm almost sure they won't.

[smokie36]

O- folks, please donate blood often wherever you are! you are universal donors, so anyone of any blood type can take your blood if their blood type is not available.

This is the blood used in extreme emergencies ie when there is not enough time to check or arrange the correct blood grouping.

Please donate whenever you can!

[jb5music]

O- folks, please donate blood often wherever you are! you are universal donors, so anyone of any blood type can take your blood if their blood type is not available.

O+ or O-? The first article says they need O+ and O+ according to them is very rare.

Then several posts farther down say No O+ is the most common blood type they must mean O-

So which is the rare one and which one do they need? If the original article said O+ but meant O-

Then that is very lame in the face of this urgency to get help for someone and ask the general

public through an internet posting only to get the request 180 degrees wrong because of

a typo or mental mix up. How lame

[wlx]

O- folks, please donate blood often wherever you are! you are universal donors, so anyone of any blood type can take your blood if their blood type is not available.

O+ or O-? The first article says they need O+ and O+ according to them is very rare.

Then several posts farther down say No O+ is the most common blood type they must mean O-

So which is the rare one and which one do they need? If the original article said O+ but meant O-

Then that is very lame in the face of this urgency to get help for someone and ask the general

public through an internet posting only to get the request 180 degrees wrong because of

a typo or mental mix up. How lame

The OP has stated what is required.

Please don't muddy the waters with more confusion, a kids life is at stake here.

[webfact]

Posters who are not a physician by profession should refrain from commenting on blood types.

A life is in danger. We don't need any discussion but action. Please donate

[bina]

fear of mad cows disease (from people that have been in certain countries from after a certain date) : that is the reason why certain people are not able to donate blood/not acceptated in some other countries-- that is the hereasay that ive heard... btw, as far as i know, anyone that has been in thailand the past year cannot donate in israel; not sure if its because of tropical diseases or HIV scare... but i know that my husband (thai) couldnt donate and neither could i....

and here, donating blood is life insurance for other family members-- we all get little cards with the date of the donation. the more dates, the more blood u can get for u or a loved one w/o paying for it, since we are a high blood usage country (duh, i wonder why)...

bina

israel

[SantiSuk]

I am always suspicious when someone says 'someone from Asia cannot give blood in Europe', quoting no source. Europe is a big place! When someone's life or health is at risk loose talk like this on websites is obnoxious

The UK does not ban visitors to Asia from giving blood but asks you to wait 6 months if you have been in a malarial area (source nhs donor website). So there's some misinformation posted above - do not assume there is some tit for tat ban in Thailand that means you cannot give blood - go ahead and try. I very much doubt the Private hospitals would implement tit for tat anyway.

Maybe Thailand implements the UK proscription of giving blood if 'you've had a tattoo, semi-permanent make up or any cosmetic treatments that involves skin piercing in the last 6 months'. If so maybe that rules out some of you

[SeanMoran]

I'm O+ but not due back in Rayong until early next month. I hope it might be possible to donate at the local Bangkok-Rayong hospital, or better still, at the public hospital. If it's a matter of life or death next month, I'll get back on the bus to Victory Monument as soon as I get checked back into the apartment.

Sorry can't be of any help in November, but can if she's still needing transfusions in December.

[Bizz]

having watched a family member die of leukimia at age 13 it totches a nerve that cannot be taken away no mmatter where you are.

the pain and suffering that is endured seeing your parents watch a child age thirteen years die in front of your eyes is a life long experiance.

i would ask all who have the spare time to donate, pay your own dues in life.

walk away from the bullshit without blood you die you really do die.

they will not take my blood now even though i am b+Rh n.. now i have to take immune suppressants.

do something worthwhile in ones life that is or was one of my sanity vow's.

Edited November 14, 2009 by Bizz

[loser1]

I used to work at the UK National Blood service 10 years ago and was asked if i wanted to give blood and i gladly agreed, i was then asked to fill in the questionnaire which asked among other things had i been to Africa, had i engaged in gay sex, had i ever visited a prostitute. Well i'd never been to Africa but i couldn't back out in front of my work colleagues so i went ahead but could ever never do it again in future. It surprises me that falang men would be welcome to donate. i'm sure there are a whole list of countries on the at risk list now.

[Acharn]

When I was in high school the blood donor bus would turn up at school every so often, and everyone - well most people - would pile in there and give blood. These busses would go to large companies, shopping centers etc, and if you had a very rare blood type they could get hold of you in an emergence. Everything on a voluntary basis.

Bangkok and other areas in Thailand has large numbers of foreigners. Schools, universities, companies etc, so why doesn't anyone organize this?

Obviously there is an even bigger need for the most common types of blood in any country, but as the O+ seems to be more or less universally the most common type it should also dominate in types donated.

Actually, I know that the school where I used to work has blood donation days every year. I public service announcements on the news shows about people at universities and large companies donating blood. Thais are quite willing. But I think there is a lack of organizers to do this more frequently.

There is something strange about the original announcement, though. O+ is the most common type of blood among all humans, including Asians. It could easily be that their stocks of this type are depleted because it's used so much, but not because it's rare. I haven't checked out the wikipedia article, but I understood O- was relatively rare. I also understood (from High School Biology about 60 years ago) that O+ was the "universal donor", not O-. Well, this is not the first time I've been puzzled about something in Thailand.

[barryofthailand]

My donor card has got "O Rh+" on it. Will that work?

Yes!

Goodo. Will be there tomorrow morning.

Obviously if O+ is the most common blood type in Thailand, and there's none at the hospital, either the hospital is incompetent or Thais don't donate blood due to some superstition

Type O blood is not the most common blood type in Thailand. A Positive is the most common blood Type here in Thailand.

Barry

[fiercesnake]

Sorry but something is really half-baked about this story. O+ is the world's MOST common blood group and that includes Thais. Thailand records 37% of the population as O and the bulk of that is the positive variant. This is close to the UK's listed 40% O Rh (D) statistic. Yes, amazingly though many may think Thais are completely different to everyone else they are NOT! Nor are they from another planet.

There must be more to the facts in this story. O- donors are considered the universal donor and they are common. O- (7% of the population) can only NOT donate in a set of very rare circumstances because of the complex issues of certain immune reactions with some special cases. Even O+ can donate to a large group of the population with different blood groups, but this relates to certain antigens in sub-blood types to which they can or are not compatible. A reliable reference site for further research is available at this website: Blood Book

I highly recommend before half the population goes to help this young girl, that they ring the hospital DIRECTLY to ascertain EXACTLY what the hospital needs as clearly she must have an immune deficiency or rare antigen coagulation problem which requires a very specific match. The fact that she is already requiring a liver transplant at a young age suggests something is gravely wrong. The liver is the bio-chemical factory of the body and for this to breakdown at an early age means that the medical issues for this girl can not be simple. If further data is available then maybe someone can post the updated medical requirement as soon as they can get accurate details.

However normal blood donation is a highly recommended practice regardless of some objections from extremist religious groups. It saves lives!

[robert00]

Hi, I am more than happy to help, I have Blood groop O and live in Korat, would that help?

[Bizz]

I used to work at the UK National Blood service 10 years ago and was asked if i wanted to give blood and i gladly agreed, i was then asked to fill in the questionnaire which asked among other things had i been to Africa, had i engaged in gay sex, had i ever visited a prostitute. Well i'd never been to Africa but i couldn't back out in front of my work colleagues so i went ahead but could ever never do it again in future. It surprises me that falang men would be welcome to donate. i'm sure there are a whole list of countries on the at risk list now.

just tell the truth stop the bs*** give blood they need to ask. common seance that's all.

[wlx]

"Sorry but something is really half-baked about this story."

"There must be more to the facts in this story."

"However normal blood donation is a highly recommended practice regardless of some objections from extremist religious groups. It saves lives!"

Jeesh.....

Why are people looking for some hidden agenda here?

Yes, there is "more to the facts", but what does it matter.

Help is being sought for a very sick little girl.

End of "Story".

[Korat88]

Dear Mike

I hope that the little girl is benefitting from your request for donors and will get her liver transplant soon.

If I could help I would, however I am A+ and even if I could help I would not be allowed to in Thailand. I found this out a few weeks ago when a Thai colleague asked everyone at work if they were A+ and if so could we help her father who was due to have an operation the next day. Off I went, filled in the form and said "Yes" to a question asking whether I had lived in the UK for more than 6 months between 1982 - 1996. I cannot remember the exact dates as I thought I had a copy of the form I took with me but can't find it now. Anyway, by answering "yes", I was automatically rejected. The form did not say Europe it specifically said the UK. An unclear explanation related to the risk connecting "beef" to "anthrax" between these dates. I admit I have not researched this on the www yet.

This might help people who have lived in the UK around these dates and wish to donate blood in Thailand. Whether it is a Red CRoss specific thing or not I am unsure. The correct dates can no doubt be found by contacting the Red Cross where I went. The relevant page on their website does not include this question: http://www.redcross.or.th/english/donation..._wholeblood.php

[NamSod]

For donating blood O- is the best kind of blood to have as any blood group whether postive or negative can receive it. On the other hand, O+ can only be received by A+, B+, O+ and AB+.

So if you have O- you are a universal blood donor and can donate to anyone that needs it. It can be used by all. I am O- and blood banks always want my blood.

[PoorSucker]

I encourage all Europeans with RH- (Rhesus negative) blood to donate.

16% of Europeans are RH- while less than 1% of Asians are.

[Insight]

have just finished donating, typing this on my phone :)all very straightforward. 2nd floor of the hospital in a room named "blood bank". My missus wrote some instructions in Thai for me so presented them on arrival an was escorted here.

[monkie13]

we live in song phi nong, my husband has o pos and for myselve...i don't know sorry.

we are happy to help.

please you can arrange something? it is difficould for us to go to bangkok.

please pm me for my tel.number. i am sorry don't know how to pm you