Home platelets: Placer baseball player donating blood during pandemic

All Carson Seeman wanted to do this season was contribute to his team. With Friday's announcement that the California Interscholastic Federation would cancel the remainder of the spring sports season due to growing COVID-19 spread, Seeman never got much of a chance to shine for the Placer High baseball team. The Hillmen junior third baseman and catcher is still finding a way to make a difference in his community, nonetheless. Since the discontinuance of the 2019–20 on-campus school year, Seeman has decided to donate blood to help contribute to a dire shortage during the coronavirus pandemic. "Blood levels were never down before the pandemic, so I thought that this shouldn't be affected because of coronavirus," said Seeman, whose mother works at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital in Grass Valley. "Patients still need blood, whether they're dealing with coronavirus or other issues. I thought it was a good idea to give some of mine. "It's a chance to get out and do something and give back to the community." Before the cancellation of spring sports, Seeman was on pace to have an outstanding baseball season. He was batting .375, hitting safely in four of the five games played and striking out only once in 16 at-bats. Seeman has since found a way to contribute in a way he never could on the baseball field. "He's part of our leadership program at Placer, so it doesn't surprise me that he'd do that," said Placer High biology teacher Thomas Schroeder, who's had Seeman as a student in multiple classes. "It's really cool when students actually take initiative, and it's not just lip service. I'm proud of him for actually following through." Schroeder has annually organized the Placer High Blood Drive for most of his 31-year tenure at the school. Amid stay-at-home orders and social distancing requirements, Placer was forced to cancel this year's blood drive, but Schroeder said it's a common misconception that people can't give blood during this worldwide health crisis. "The blood centers are hurting because so many of the regular donors are the elderly and they obviously are being highly discouraged from donating," Schroeder said. "Coronavirus patients don't necessarily need blood, but the regular need for other surgeries or chemo – that doesn't go down." More than 4,000 blood drives nationwide have been canceled, resulting in close to 130,000 fewer blood donations due to coronavirus concerns, according to Meredith Spencer, a regional manager of donor recruitment at Vitalant, a national blood donation and transfusion organization. "Some government agencies are advising people to avoid 'gatherings,'" Spencer said. "Blood donation operations – at Vitalant blood drives and donation centers – are not gatherings but essential health care activities. Not having enough blood to meet basic patient needs will cause another public health crisis." Spencer added that over the past 30 years, Placer High alone has made more than 10,400 donations. She said that students like Seeman really do make a difference. "It is truly awe-inspiring to see blood donors like Carson who are rolling up their sleeve to give a lifesaving gift for patients," said Spencer. The O-positive Seeman made his first donation at Vitalant in Auburn – about 470 milliliters of whole blood – two weeks ago. The American Red Cross requires donors to wait at least eight weeks between whole blood donations. Seeman, however, has immediate plans to donate platelets, commonly used to help clot blood and stop bleeding for cancer patients and others facing life-threatening injuries or illnesses. Platelet donations only require about a week in between visits. "I hope to inspire some other people to give blood and make sure the organizations and hospitals aren't running low," Seeman said. Anyone interested in donating blood can find more info at vitalant.org or by calling 877-25-VITAL.