1 Comunale di Vedano al Lambro Via S. Stefano Vedano al Lambro Tel Cell Knowing us Info on, its purposes and its aims curated by…

2 Outlines of transfusions. Donating blood AVIS in Italy AVIS at Vedano al Lambro AVIS what is it and what does it do? Who are the donors? How and why we can donate blood? Apprehension of donors. The cost of blood. Values of solidarity and of donating. Became a donor. CONTENTS

3 Outlines of transfusions:  A symbol of life or death.  Every civilization has attributed beneficial or evil powers to blood.  Offering blood to the gods was a way of thanking them and of guaranteeing oneself survival. Blood in ancient times. IPPOCRATES ( B.C.) was the first person to come across the existence of arteries and veins but he thought they carried air.  The ancient Egyptian priests resorted to blood in order to give new youth to their principles.  The ancient Romans believed they could conquer old age by substituting the fatigued blood of old people with the blood of strong and well-built young men.

4 The period in which blood – even considered to be the dwelling place of the soul – was ascribed with mysterious and magical powers, lasted until the Renaissance. GALEN ( a.D.) believed that blood was produced by the liver.. In a well-known treatise, William HARVEY ( ), an English anatomist, maintained that the circulation of blood took place in a closed circuit; he studied the heart’s movement. Outlines of transfusions: Blood in ancient times.

5 The first transfusions of blood from animals to human beings took place in France in In Italy, it was the astronomer from Bologna, Cassini, who carried out successfully the first transfusion from one animal to another. Antony van LEEUWENHOEK ( ), a Dutch naturalist, was one of the founders of microscopy. He was the first person to describe red blood cells in details. Marcello MALPIGHI ( ), a doctor and a naturalist, studied the human body through a microscope and noted the existence of capillaries. Outlines of transfusions: Blood in ancient times.

6 In 1819 Blundel started off the ‘practical’ period of blood transfusions with the first human experience. Making use of the blood of two male donors, he operated a woman who suffered post-partum haemorrhage. Karl LANDSTEINER ( ) discovered blood groups at the beginning of the 20th Century and the Rhesus factor in In 1930 he was awarded the Nobel prize for Medicine. Blood transfusions have been practically safe ever since. Outlines of transfusions: Blood in ancient times.

7 The gift of blood is anonymous free voluntary responsible associative

8 Donating blood anonymous Donors are not aware of who receives their blood; recipients themselves are not aware of who donated the blood they receive. is

9 Neither money nor honour are foreseen, just inner gratification, deep joy with the consciousness that our deed, humble but heartfelt, can be of help to others. There is no payment for the donating of blood

10 Donating blood voluntary. It is a personal option. We are not obliged to donate blood. We do so because we put an instrument of invaluable human solidarity at the disposal of the community, hence of others. is

11 responsible act We are aware of our act. We do not wish to cause damage to the recipient, that is why we strive to be in good health. is a Donating blood

12 associative It is by now necessary to donate blood periodically. In so doing, donors’ health is under control and their blood is ‘safe’. Furthermore, associative blood donors have the possibility of leaving their mark on society for the achievement of Self-sufficiency. Donating blood is

13 In ITALY Avis has been founded in 1927 in Milano by Dr. Vittorio Formentano. He, with a first group of 17 volunteers, founded AVIS. The volunteers where available: to answer to urgent call; to be controlled either in type of blood and in their health; to fight to defeat the plague of blood selling. In 2008: in Italy 1,111,071 donors have given 1,949,793 bags; in Lombardy 230,343 donors have given 487,948 bags (25,02 %); in Milano province the bags collected where 145,297 with 67,491 donors.

14 IN ITALY 21Regional Council 108Province Council 3166Municipal centers Regional CouncilPopulationmembers donor members donation amount Abruzzo Basilicata Calabria Campania Emilia Romagna Friuli Venezia Giulia Lazio Liguria Lombardia Marche Molise Piemonte Prov. Aut. Bolzano Prov. Aut. Trento Puglia Sardegna Sicilia Toscana Umbria Valle d'Aosta Veneto Italian Total Svizzera Totai

15 Donations of the various AVIS branches in Lombardy subdivided per province – 2008 Province Council Municipal centers donor members donation amount Bergamo Brescia Como Cremona Lecco Lodi Mantova Milano Pavia Sondrio Varese Totale

16 Municipal AVIS of Vedano al Lambro started in In 1999 the objective of donations has been reached. In 2001 the monument to Solidarity has been inaugurated in piazza Repubblica. During 2009 In Vedano al Lambro, the office is in via S. Stefano 71; it’s open to everybody every tuesday from 9 p.m. we collected 783 bags of blood from 381 active donors ( 233 male and 148 female ); donors have been 351; 40new donors and 22 retired.

17 ● A Board, made up of 12 members nominated in the course of a member meeting occurring every 4 years, sees to the management of the municipal branch. ● The secretary’s office gets in touch with donors every 3 to 6 months in order to agree upon the date of when they should next donate blood. ● The division carries out promotional activities in order to find new donors; it organizes evenings on medical topics in order to popularize health awareness; it takes an active part in the activities that the diverse associations organize in the area [e.g.: Carnival, The Day of the Disabled – organized by the ‘Friends’ of UNITALSI (Italian National Union for the Transport of the Sick to Lourdes and to International Shrines, etc.)]. Organization and Activities at Vedano al Lambro

18 What is it about? ITALIAN ASSOCIATION of VOLUNTEERS for BLOOD Outlook (what we are out for in favour of the community) An association of volunteers;in fact, the blood donors are volunteers, its executives are volunteers. AVIS AVIS hopes for a united society, capable of guaranteeing all citizens with optimum health and wellbeing conditions.

19 The mission (what we do to achieve our set aims) ITALIAN ASSOCIATION of VOLUNTEERS for BLOOD The aim of AVIS is to promote the voluntary – as well as periodical, associated, unpaid, anonymous and mindful – donating of blood (whole and/or a fraction of it), taken as a unitary and universal value, an expression of solidarity and public spirit. AVIS

20 The values Solidarity (aware of what donating means), unselfishness, safeguarding the right to good health, public spirit, respect, fairness, democratic feelings, equality. AVIS Ethic principles Anonymousness, free (non-profit), social and civil participation (voluntary work), no discrimination (of sex, race, language, nationality, religion, political creed). ITALIAN ASSOCIATION of VOLUNTEERS for BLOOD

21 The objectives ● Meeting with the health needs of citizens fostering: – Self-sufficiency at a national level as far as blood and derivates are concerned. – The utmost safety in transfusions, safeguarding the right to the good health of donors and recipients alike. – An optimum use of blood. ● As well as AVIS, promoting information and education on the citizens’ health, the development of volunteer work, the sense of association and of international cooperation. ● Fostering the development of voluntary, periodical, associated, unpaid, anonymous and mindful donating, at a community and international level. AVIS ITALIAN ASSOCIATION of VOLUNTEERS for BLOOD

22 From articles of the Association AVIS is: non-party, non-denominational. AVIS does not approve of discriminations: of sex, of race, of language, of religion, of political faith. AVIS is non-profit-making.

23 Who are the blood-donors? with more than 18 years; with more than 50 Kg; in good health; with less than 65 years. They are very normal people: The interview with phisician and special laboratory tests verify every time the ability to the donation.

24 How does the actual donating of blood take place? At first, blood transfusions were carried out from one arm to another by connecting one vein to another. The donating of blood is carried out at equipped centres, in hospitals, where the utmost safety for donors and recipients alike is guaranteed. After the discovery of anticoagulants, at present blood may be stored and transported.

25 What are the reasons for donating blood? Because this means we can save human lives. Because this means we put an instrument of invaluable human solidarity at the disposal of the community, hence of others. Because this fulfils our civic sense of helping those in need. Because this allows for the achieving of the objective of national self-sufficiency, thus closing the gap between the collecting of blood and the actual need of blood in the various regions.

26 What are the reasons for donating blood? Because donating blood is: an option in favour of others and an option in favour of ourselves. Donating blood regularly ensures the donors a constant check on their health conditions by means of medical visits and thorough laboratory tests carried out each time blood is drawn. Donors thus have the possibility to get to know their organism and to lead a peaceful life, aware that a valid early diagnosis will avoid the worsening of latent ailments. For AVIS safeguarding the health of donors is of paramount importance.

27 Is the donating of blood harmful or painful? Absolutely not! For an adult in good health the donation does not bring any risk. The law regulating the blood donation says that: - the quantity of blood to be drawn is 450 cm3, equal to the 10% of the total; - the interval between two donations must not be under 90 days for men and 180 for fertile women - the controls and the periodic visits constitute preventive medicine for the health of the donor

28 Is the donating of blood harmful or painful? Absolutely not! Donating blood does not involve any risk for healthy and eligible adults. Law regulates the collecting of blood and establishes that: the quantity of blood to be drawn is 450 cm³, corresponding to About 10% of the total; the lapse of time between two donating sessions is not to be less than 90 days for men and 180 days for women at a child-bearing age; checks and periodical visits account for preventive medicine safeguarding donors’ health conditions.

29 What are the ‘products’ of blood used for? Whole blood: It is rarely made use of (massive haemorrhages). Concentrate of red blood cells: These are made use of in various types of anaemia, both acute (serious haemorrhages due to traumas, intestinal haemorrhages, urgent surgical operations, etc.) and chronic (various types of leukaemia, neoplasia and thalassaemia). Concentrate of platelets: This is made use of in the treatment of serious alterations of quantity (a reduction of their number) or of the quality of these cells (e.g.: in individuals struck by leukaemia or by marrow aplasia, whose marrow does not produce platelets). Plasma for clinical use: This is made use of for the serious alterations of coagulation, in the presence of or with a serious risk of haemorrhages which are not rectifiable with the use of plasma factors obtained by means of the industrial processing of plasma.

30 What are the ‘products’ of blood useful for? Albumin: This is useful for raising blood pressure in the case of widespread oedemas or of a serious reduction of arterial pressure. It is obtained by industrially processing plasma. Non specific immunoglobulin: These products, too, are derived from the industrial processing of plasma. They are made use of to counter serious infections. Specific factors of coagulation: A series of life-saving products deriving from the industrial processing of plasma. They are essential for healing haemorrhages that follow a congenital lack of theirs, as with haemophilias.

31 Apprehension of donors. When people make up their mind to donate blood, they are carrying out a sort of act of force against themselves. It is not so natural to have a vein of ours pierced and to let a good amount of blood leave our system without being apprehensive!! Worrying about our health? The rule is that the drawing of blood must not damage the person’s health. A medical visit and thorough clinical tests account for a valid guarantee safeguarding health

32 Apprehension of donors. Worrying about having too much blood drawn out of our system? The quantity of blood drawn is minimum; in a matter of hours our organism regenerates it. Worrying about the needle and about the venous injection? The skill of the medical staff and the quality of the instruments render the process painless. Worrying over the sight of blood? There is no ‘bloodshed’ and donors can always look in the opposite direction. Anyhow, the sacs and the tubes are opaque. Worrying about fainting? Following the doctor’s advice, resting awhile on the couch afterwards and drinking fruit juice avert the risk.

33 The cost of blood. The blood leaving our vein and entering the plastic sac carries no cost since the donor does not receive any payment for donating blood. The costs incurred by the community concern: ● The assisting medical staff. ● The sac for the preserving of the blood, the set of needles for drawing the blood and all the necessary equipment for the checks. ● Laboratory tests for viral research in safeguarding the recipient’s health. ● Checks on the donor’s health. ● Separating operations and the preparation of derivates for prompt use.

34 The cost of blood. In the USA, in various towns along the border with Mexico, a great deal of ‘commuters of red blood cells’ – persons who are unemployed, poor and sometimes drug addicts – cross the border in order to make money with the sale of their own blood. Half of the American production of blood is then exported. In India, there are innumerable donors who maintain their families by having their blood drawn 2 or 3 times a week. For years associations of donors have battled against those who gave their blood and were paid for it. In Italy the Law punishes all those who draw, provide, collect, preserve or distribute human blood that is purchased. In several nations not only is the payment for the sale of blood tolerated but also explicitly allowed. All this triggers off an adverse process of speculation on man’s health.

35 VALUES of SOLIDARITY and of DONATION Speaking of AVIS, we speak of solidarity. Why? Because solidarity means to join with a moral bond everyone of us to the society we are part of. Our deed, the gift of blood, may save a life. Do not forget that blood is a natural “product”, which cannot be artificially reproduced and is indispensable for life. The blood is renewable and it is therefore possible to deprive ourselves of a small quantity without damages, because the organism restores it quickly.

36 Then we wonder: what we get back? Neither money nor honour are foreseen, just internal satisfaction, a deep joy with the consciousness that our deed, humble but sincere, can help who needs. After every donation we feel ourselves satisfied by the deed done. Remember that: “THE REALLY POOR MAN IS WHO DOES NOT KNOW TO GIVE”. VALUES of SOLIDARITY and of DONATION

37 Become a donor. Together with recipients, those persons who decide to become blood donors, establish an agreement of trust whose intermediary is the transfusion system. The basics of this agreement are set out in the responsibility of donors who vouch for their own life-style and for their clinical history, as well as in the professional competence of doctors assigned to the collecting of blood, in safeguarding their health.

38 Become a donor. MEMBERSHIP FORM Surname: Name Surname of spouse: Born in: Province: On: … Residing at: …. Postcode: …... Street/Square: Nr ….. Home telephone: Mobile telephone: ………………… Available from (time) to………………………… National Health card number: …………………. Herewith applies to join AVIS as a periodical active member Date Signature of the enroller………

39 … KNOW ABOUT BLOOD AND DONATION….… …THUS ENROLL IN AVIS AND ASK YOUR FRIENDS TO DO THE SAME. Bye and… see you soon …NOW YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE TO….……

40 Knowing us Project: Mario Brambilla Translation:W.A. Gulia – Oxford Group Tests Correction :Patrizia Lecchi Tecnical Support :Manuele Brambilla Realized for AVIS Vedano al Lambro Via S. Stefano, Vedano al Lambro Tel Cell by: Text and pictures taken from: AVIS pamphlets and manuals