Whole blood and blood products have long been used in hospital settings to aid patients suffering from a variety of medical conditions. Today, blood component transfusion is being used by St. Charles County Ambulance District [SCCAD] paramedics to positively impact the trajectory of critically ill or injured patients before they reach the emergency department. On Friday, May 22, the District will partner with ImpactLife to host a donation drive to support the blood-related needs of the region heading into the summer season. The blood drive will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at SCCAD’s headquarters facility in St. Peters.
Since SCCAD debuted the blood component program in October of last year, more than 40 patients have received packed red blood cells and/or plasma from paramedics. One of the most recent was Jamie Rizzo, who along with her three young sons was involved in a serious motor vehicle crash on Caulks Hill Road on the afternoon of March 23. The boys were thankfully uninjured in the crash, but Jamie sustained critical, life-threatening injuries.
Within minutes, dozens of first responders were on-scene working in tandem to extricate Jamie, provide life-saving care amid the wreckage, and rapidly transport her to a level one trauma center. Amid the life-saving interventions performed by paramedics that day was the transfusion of two units of plasma and packed red blood cells.
“Words are simply not enough for me to express my gratitude to everyone who helped me and my family that day – the amount of coordination and teamwork required to get me out of the vehicle and transported quickly and safely to the hospital is unbelievable,” said Jamie. “I’m grateful to live in a community with forward-thinking emergency medical care available – without the blood program, my outcome may have been very different.”
No matter where blood is provided to critically ill or injured patients, the success of blood programs relies heavily on donors’ willingness to roll up their sleeve. Donation takes under an hour, and a single unit can be used to help up to three individuals in need.
The blood drive at SCCAD HQ on May 22 will be held on the ImpactLife mobile outreach unit. Those interested in donating at this or other ImpactLife events can make an appointment at by clicking here.
