Miami Herald - Thursday, August 6, 1998
Neil Reisner, Herald Staff Writer

Well, maybe not such a big ouch. More like: "Ouch!" Or even just plain "ouch."

But he grinned when he thought about the good that would flow out of his donation.

"I've got a lot of olive oil and garlic in my blood, it's good blood, I'm telling you," says Papale, a retired hairdresser who owns Enrico's hair salon in Pembroke Pines.

Papale didn't intend to give blood when he stopped by the Davie Costco one recent, sweltering afternoon. He was on his way out with a friend and a cart full of merchandise when he was accosted by Cory Fishman, an area manager for South Florida Blood Banks. Before Fishman could finish her won't-you-give-blood-today, it's-a-good-thing-to-do spiel, he said yes.

"Any chance I have, I give blood," he says. "If you take out of the world, you've got to give something back."

Donating blood is not something that most folks think about very often. But to folks in the blood biz, it's a preoccupation.

The challenge: How to persuade enough sometimes skittish potential donors togive the more than 400 pints of red blood the nonprofit organization needs each day to fill the needs of 32 South Florida hospitals, seven of which are in Broward.

Which is why Fishman, a onetime school teacher, is standing outside Costco, acting like a carnival barker. Except, instead of luring people into the House of Mirrors, she's trying to get them over to the nearby Bloodmobile. She makes it easy to say, "Yes," and very hard to say, "No."

"Hi. Can you help us out and donate blood? We've got the Bloodmobile right over there," she says enthusiastically, planting herself in front of a potential target.

A mere shake of the head does not stop her. Fishman, who clearly can tolerate a whole lot of rejection, follows the person into the parking lot, persuading all the way.

"A lot of people have certain misapprehensions that just aren't true," says Fishman, who's likely heard them all.

A sampling: "I hate needles."

"I need all my blood."

"It can make me sick."

"I'm diabetic."

"I gave at the office."

Or -- and these are probably the worst -- a blank stare and a cold shoulder.

Fishman can answer them all.

Afraid of needles? It's not that big.

Think you can't spare the blood? We all have more than we need, and the body replaces donated blood within a day. Research even indicates that men who donate are at reduced risk of heart attack.

Afraid you can get sick, even get AIDS, by donating? All the equipment used is sterile and no equipment is reused.

Diabetic? If you take insulin orally, you can give.

Just plain reluctant? Think about the lives you can save. And what if you needed blood someday?

Fortunately, some people say yes.

Like Philip Schaefer, a Plantation property manager, who along with 22 others was delighted when Fishman approached him.

"It's been a long time since I've given blood, since high school," said Schaefer, who had come to Costco looking for some videos and maybe a new computer. "The opportunity just hasn't been available and I wasn't looking for it."

"I was thinking about giving, but I always thought it was not a good time," said Manon Cote of Davie, after spending 20 to 30 minutes in the air-conditioned Bloodmobile reclining on a couch upholstered in dusty rose vinyl, donating as her twin 8-year-old sons, Charles and Matthew, patiently waited.

Cote understands that blood is a precious commodity.

One pint can be separated into four components -- red cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate, used for treating hemophilia -- and can benefit up to four people.

And if saving lives isn't enough, there are selfish reasons to donate. On their first time donating to South Florida Blood Banks, donors' blood is checked for type, cholesterol, hepatitis, HIV, liver function and more. Later donations net more tests, including diabetes, anemia, leukemia, gout and kidney function.

WHO CAN GIVE BLOOD?

Any person in generally good health who weighs at least 100 pounds and is 17 or older can donate blood, but only 5 percent of eligible Americans do.

The process is easy.

In a private area, potential donors will first be screened to see whether they can donate. People who have received a tattoo or a body piercing within the previous year, for example, can't.

A blood bank worker will ask questions about donors' general health and whether they have had any of a variety of ailments or have engaged in unsafe sex. Then a worker will take vital signs. A few drops of blood are drawn to check that it has enough iron.

After that, it's off to the couch and the actual donation. From start to finish, the process takes about 30 minutes.

South Florida hospitals require about 1,200 pints of blood daily, collected by four blood centers.

Reach South Florida Blood Banks at 800-360-9444. Community Blood Centers of South Florida can be reached at 954-735-9600. American Red Cross Blood Services can be reached at 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (448-3543). Memorial Blood Bank, which serves Memorial Regional Hospital facilities, is at 954-985-5959.

CAPTION: color photo: Margaret Reese draws blood from Enrico Papale (a); photo: Cory Fishman asks man to give blood (a)
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