More Than 20 Donate Blood at Farmers Market

As Royal Oak residents wrapped up their Christmas shopping this week, many offered an invaluable, anonymous gift at the on Tuesday.

More than 20 people donated blood during the drive hosted by the  and the Red Cross from 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Tom Nikkila, the Royal Oak fire marshal, was one of the first donors to arrive. "I am here to help others and hopefully save a life," Nikkila said, "People can't be too busy to take some time and give blood.  There is no more original gift to give than the gift of life."

Sue Schley, a registered nurse with the Red Cross, was on hand in the morning processing paperwork and getting donors ready.

"Every year, we have a shortage of blood around the holidays," she explained. "There are several reasons for this.  Many of our blood drives take place in high schools and on college campuses and those locations are closed for the holidays.  Also, people are traveling, sometimes the weather this time of year makes it difficult for people to get out and it's cold and flu season which takes any sick people out of the running for donating."

The city provided the Farmers Market space and Market Master Gwen Ross was there in the morning to open the building and help with initial set-up.

Blood drives, especially those occurring around the holidays, have special meaning to Ross, whose mother was killed in a car accident around Thanksgiving nearly 40 years ago. "That's when I was first told of the blood shortage that occurs near the holidays every year," Ross said.

According to Schley, once donors arrive they are given an informational booklet to review and paperwork to sign before moving on to a brief physical and completing a questionnaire with nearly 50 inquiries. The physical and questionnaire are typically finished within 45-60 minutes before the donation begins. It takes about 15 minutes to donate blood and then each donor moves on to refuel with juice, cookies and other snacks.

Eileen O'Shee, of St. Clair Shores, works in Royal Oak's finance department and gives blood whenever there is a drive nearby. "I go whenever I am aware of one that happens near work or near home," she said. "I'm also on the bone marrow registry and would be happy to give if that call ever comes."