Give to Save

Mississippi Blood Services is working to meet the needs of the community

With emotion in his eyes, David Allen recalls a story of a young girl battling sickle cell disease. She required routine treatments and one particular visit to the hospital cameras from a local television station followed her around as she explained how the blood transfusion she was receiving helped to keep her alive. The local station aired the first part of her story at six and only a few hours later the young girl lost her life to a stroke, (common among those who battle the disease). The television station heard about the tragedy and remained uncertain if they should run the rest of her story during the ten o’clock news, but the young lady’s mother contacted them and ask that they share the rest of her story. There was no way of knowing this young girl would lose her life just hours later when she shared, “It’s important for people to donate blood so they can help people like me.”

Each day the Mississippi Blood Services (MBS) strives to help people like that young girl. With less than 4% of the population donating blood in the country, the challenge is great, but President and CEO, David Allen is up for that challenge. In his twenty-second year with MBS, Allen has helped to lead MBS to new heights. The donor base is growing with 66,359 units donated last year, over 1,700 blood mobiles were held across the state, 184 staff members serve at MBS and the first every blood center in Jackson is set to open in December at a new building specifically built for MBS off Lakeland drive.

However, even with this growth, the need for blood donations continues to grow as well. “We truly deal with life and death situations. We provide all the blood needed in the hospitals and that’s a daunting task. Most of our donors are repeat donors that we really depend on them. It’s a challenge that we make sure we can meet the needs of the hospitals.”

Often when there is a crisis such as 9/11 or Katrina, the general public will respond through donating, but as Allen shares everyday there are moments of need, “We know that where there is a large crisis people will respond, but the problem is that there are “many” and “mini” crisis that go on all the time that people don’t know about because they’re not in the headlines, but that person who is a single car accident who needs forty or fifty units of blood, this is a major crisis for them.” When the need is put into tangible terms such as life and death it becomes clear that Allen is in the business of saving lives.

“I’ve always felt like it was important to give back to the community and that’s what we do, we help the community. Knowing that we play a part in saving lives or improve the quality of life is an important thing that we take seriously.”

In order to help the community and keep the business running, MBS depends on the community to donate blood. It’s an act of service that has real results. For every one person who donates, three lives are saved. No matter your job title, age, skin color, or the amount in your bank account, we all share a source of life that can be given and received.  

There of course is uncertainty surrounding the giving of blood and Allen identifies this as a huge responsibility of MBS to educate the public about the donating experience. “It’s the unknown that scares most from donating. Many say it’s not as bad as they thought it would be; it’s just getting them there. We work a lot with our staff to make sure that this is a positive experience as they can offer. The collection staff knows it’s their responsibility to get a donor in for a second time. It’s our responsibility to make them feel like heroes. We want to make sure they know they really are heroes, they have literally given a piece of themselves to save someone else.”

In Allen’s personal life, he is a hero to the smallest ones among us. Twenty-three years ago he and his wife became interim parents; nurturing newborns through Bethany Christian Services. From two to six months they care for the babies as their own. Downplaying this service in his own life, Allen just looks at it as another way of helping the community. “No, it’s not giving blood, but it’s another example of someone who needs help. These are little people who need love, care and nurturing like everyone else and it gives us an opportunity to do that. We really enjoy doing it.”

From the young girl with sickle cell disease to the little new born without a home, the message is the same. We are all in need. In need of our neighbor’s help and in need of the hope found in Christ who helped to give us all life through his death.

MBS seeks to meet the needs of those in hospitals who depend on every donor who steps into the blood center or boards a donation bus outside their church or office. Their mission is to “provide a safe and adequate supply of voluntarily donated blood and blood components for patients in hospitals and to offer related services to our hospitals and other medical facilities.” Allen has made this his life purpose everyday as he walks into work. “I love this organization; it truly is a labor of love. We take seriously that the community has laid an awesome responsibility on us and we truly feel like we’re the stewards of the blood supply.”

What can you do?

Host a blood drive.

Call (601)981-3232 or (888) 90-BLOOD to book your blood drive at your office, church or school.

Volunteer.

If your health keeps you from donating, you can always volunteer with MBS.

Donate at the MBS blood center.

Currently located at 1995 Lakeland Drive, MBS is open

Mon. - Fri. 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Thurs. 7:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Sat. 7:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Sun. Appointment Only