Blood Transfusion related Hepatitis C

[sbd5251]

I was wondering how many of the people on here got HCV from a blood transfusion?  In 1989 my daughter received a blood transfusion which resulted in HCV infection.   She died in 2004 and in trying to understand how this could have happened, I discovered that the blood supply in the United States is horrible.  I sued the Red Cross, who wanted to settle with me, which I did not do because I would have had to sign a confidentiality statement. The suit was dismissed because of a statute of limitations issue.  The Red Cross never understood that is was not about money it was about them cleaning up the blood supply.

[sbd5251]

I am so sorry to hear about your daughter.  I truly do know how you feel.  I am from a middle class family too, but my husband had insurance through his job. I dont know what we would have done without insurance.  I would try the drug companies.  Sometimes they have programs to help people with the expenses of drug therapy.  I am hoping that it will bring attention to the problem World Wide.  The Red Cross is in almost every country in the world.  I would like to add you as a friend and keep track of your daughters progress.   God helped me through the years with Candace.  He always sent me who I needed when I needed them.  Camdace  had a wonderful neurologist, family doctor, and pharmacist.  They all worked with me with her expenses and never refused  to do anything I asked.  They are all very close friends of mine now.    God will help you. too.  You and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

[jwalia]

Madam,

I do feel sorry for your loss.  As a father of a 14 year old thalassemic girl i can well understand the morbid fear of contacting any sort of these deadly infections whether HIV or HCV every time you go for a transfusion.  My daughter had more than 300 transfusions till now.  Last year she underwent bone marrow transplant and after her transplant, i was informed that her hepatitic virus got reactivated.  I don't know if it was reactivation or a new infection from the transfusions she got during the transplant.  Can you imagine the shock we had when we were informed.  It felt like out of frying pan into the fire.  
I belong to a middle class family and the expense which we have undegone for transplant and treatment was done by me without any govt or insurance help.  Now when they talk about interferon treatment i am not sure from where we can arrange the money.  
I am not a religious man, but sometimes it comes to my mind that "a man does not live by the bread he eats, he lives by the will of God himself".  For the past 14 years we have struggled, but she is still alive against all the odds. Every day when i see her, i cherish the movement as she is still alive and with me.

I really feel very sorry for your loss.  May God give you the strength to carry on with the wonderful work you are doing as it will save the life of so many innocent kids.

Love

walia  

[sbd5251]

I cannot imagine why you did not see any American Red Cross blood recalls.  I personally think that if donor suitability is not adequately determined then they should not be distributing it to the public. I  just dont understand you not seeing even one unit blood that was distributed.

[sbd5251]

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/EnforcementReports/ucm196398.htm

RECALLS AND FIELD CORRECTIONS: BIOLOGICS - CLASS II
___________________________________
PRODUCT
Red Blood Cells Leukocytes Reduced. Recall # B-0314-10
CODE
Unit: 18FG39903
RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER
American National Red Cross Great Lakes Region, Lansing, MI, by telephone and electronic notification on July 29, 2009. Firm initiated recall is complete.
REASON
Blood product, collected from a donor for whom donor suitability was not adequately determined, was distributed.
VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE
1 unit
DISTRIBUTION
MI
___________________________________
PRODUCT
Red Blood Cells, Leukocytes Reduced, Irradiated. Recall # B-0343-10
CODE
Unit: 003KK63076
RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER
The American National Red Cross - Southern Region, Douglasville, GA, by facsimile and e-mail on November 17, 2008 and by letter dated November 24, 2008. Firm initiated recall is complete.
REASON
Blood product, collected from a donor for whom donor suitability was not adequately determined, was distributed.
VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE
1 unit
DISTRIBUTION
GA
___________________________________
PRODUCT
Red Blood Cells Leukocytes Reduced. Recall # B-0345-10
CODE
Unit: 01GJ16697
RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER
American Red Cross Blood Services, West Henrietta, NY, by facsimile and electronic notification on December 23, 2008.
Manufacturer: American Red Cross Blood Services, Albany, NY. Firm initiated recall is complete.
REASON
Blood product, collected from a donor for whom donor suitability was not adequately determined, was distributed.
VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE
1 unit
DISTRIBUTION
PA
___________________________________
PRODUCT
1) Red Blood Cells. Recall # B-0354-10;
2) Red Blood Cells Leukocytes Reduced. Recall # B-0356-10
CODE
1) Unit: 011KY30467;
2) Units: 011LE36084, 011KV25525, 011KY27758
RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER
American Red Cross Blood Services, Saint Louis, MO, by facsimile on September 26, 2008 and letter dated October 31, 2008. Firm initiated recall is complete.
REASON
Blood products, collected from a donor who was previously deferred for testing positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), were distributed.
VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE
4 units
DISTRIBUTION
AR, TN, MO
___________________________________
PRODUCT
Red Blood Cells (Apheresis) Leukocytes Reduced. Recall # B-0357-10
CODE
Unit: 01FT28699 (Parts 1 & 2)
RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER
American Red Cross Blood Services, West Henrietta, NY, by telephone on July 24, 2009. Firm initiated recall is complete.
REASON
Blood products, which were labeled as leukoreduced, but were not tested to verify white blood cell count, were distributed.
VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE
2 units
DISTRIBUTION
NY
___________________________________
PRODUCT
1) Plasma Frozen within 24 hours (FP24). Recall # B-0360-10;
2) Red Blood Cells Leukocytes Reduced. Recall # B-0362-10
CODE
1) 20X40824;
2) 20X40824, 20Z22013
RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER
The American National Red Cross, Salt Lake City UT, by e-mail and facsimile on July 16, 2009 and by letter dated July 20, 2009. Firm initiated recall is complete.
REASON
Blood products, collected from a donor for whom donor suitability was not adequately determined, were distributed.
VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE
3 units
DISTRIBUTION
NC, ID

[sbd5251]

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/EnforcementReports/ucm229271.htm



PRODUCT
Red Blood Cells Leukocytes Reduced. Recall # B-2499-10
CODE
Unit: 53GR74118
RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER
American National Red Cross, Greater Chesapeake & Potomac Region, Baltimore, MD, by telephone on December 15, 2005 and by letter on December 16, 2005. Firm initiated recall is complete.
REASON
Blood product, collected from an unsuitable donor based on travel to an area considered endemic for malaria, was distributed.
VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE
1 unit
DISTRIBUTION
MD


http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/EnforcementReports/ucm196398.htm

[Diane12855]

I checked the link you gave us but I couldn't find anything that had to do with the Red Cross putting out bad blood products. I went back to 2008. What are you seeing that makes you think it is bad blood products?

Diane