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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING NATIONAL BLOOD DONOR MONTH
WHEREAS, National Blood Donor Month was a proclamation issued by President Richard Nixon in 1970. Its purpose was to recognize the critical role of blood donation, sustaining the nation's healthcare system; and,
WHEREAS, before the First World War, blood transfusions were risky and often a fatal procedure due to the lack of knowledge about blood compatibility and coagulation; and,
WHEREAS, during the war, Canadian doctor Lawrence Bruce Robertson pioneered the use of direct transfusion techniques on the battlefield allowing blood to be transferred directly from donor to patient, saving many lives; and,
WHEREAS, Dr. Philip Syng Physick performed the first human blood transfusion in 1795, and the first transfusion of human blood for treating hemorrhaging in England in 1818 by Dr. James Blundell; and,
WHEREAS, Dr. Charles R. Drew, an African American surgeon, educator, medical researcher, and one of the pioneers of blood banking during World War II, discovered that plasma had a longer shelf life than blood and could be separated to be used in transfusions. His work saved thousands during World War II and laid the groundwork for long-term blood preservation and storage techniques that have saved countless lives. Dr. Drew was also the first medical director of the American Red Cross blood bank in which he laid the foundation for modern blood banking; and,
WHEREAS, Cook County Health is home to the nation's first blood bank opened by Dr. Bernard Fantus at Cook County Hospital on March 15, 1937. Dr. Fantus' work made it possible to provide blood to save the lives of many patents; and,
WHEREAS, Cook County Health now transfuses 800-900 units of blood products per month, helping patients who may need transfusions due to a surgery, cancer treatment, childbirth or a traumatic injury or burn; and,
WHEREAS, the transfusion of red blood cells has become a relatively common procedure. In the United States,...
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