America's bloodiest day
Hawai'i reaches single-day high for blood donations
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer
Hawai'i residents yesterday continued to reach out to victims of the East Coast terrorist attacks — with a steady stream of blood donations, money to relief efforts and volunteering.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
Stephanie Rosso, director of communications for the Blood Bank of Hawai'i, said two donor centers were kept busy yesterday by people hoping to help. As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Rosso said the blood bank had collected 269 pints and expected to reach 350 pints by closing.
Tech Sgt. Bruce Roberts, top, and Airman Russell Ungson of the Hawai'i Air National Guard's 735th Air Mobility Squadron, load vials of blood samples onto a Mainland-bound military plane.
Rosso said the blood bank gathered a record 407 pints on Tuesday from about 500 people who went to their offices to donate; about 140 pints of blood are collected on an average day. She said the blood bank's daily goal is 200 pints.
"That's our goal but we don't often hit it," she said.
Up until this week, the most blood collected in a single day was 307 pints during a Honolulu Police/ Windward community drive in November 1999.
"The outpouring of support in Hawai'i is inspirational and we applaud everyone for their desire to help," Blood Bank president Dr. Robyn Yim said. She encourages people to make appointments to donate by calling 845-9966 during the next several weeks.
With commercial flights still grounded, the Hawai'i Air National Guard yesterday assisted by flying blood samples from Hickam Air Force Base to Washington state as part of the relief effort.
American Red Cross volunteer and retired medical social worker Ken Lee has a bag packed and is waiting to get the call to board a plane as early as today as part of the Red Cross Aviation Incident Response team.
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Extended hours will continue at he Blood Bank of Hawai'i. The center at 2043 Dillingham Blvd. will remain open from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. through tomorrow, and from 6:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. this weekend. The downtown center at 126 Queen St. will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. through tomorrow.
Born and raised in Hawai'i, Lee has become a specialist in providing mental health counseling to victims, survivors and rescuers dealing with air transportation disasters.
Recently, he has helped with air crashes in Taiwan, California and Guam, spending 10 to 12 days on the scene each time.
This time, he expects to stay longer.
"I'm expecting chaos," Lee said. "This could be huge — way beyond the scope of any air disaster."
Usually, he and other disaster mental health workers spend most of the time counseling survivors and rescue workers.
"You don't try to do therapy," Lee said. "What you do is patch emotional Band-Aids on people. Reassure them."
Cassandra Ely, who is in charge of public affairs for disaster for the American Red Cross in Hawai'i, said that trained volunteers, including Lee, remained on standby yesterday afternoon awaiting a flight out.
And Ely said cash donations are coming in by mail, by telephone and online.
"We are getting a very positive response," she said. Local banks also report a strong response to a call for donations.
