But this system turns out to be a big oversimplification. For the sake of simplicity, these are the types that organizations like the Red Cross usually talk about. You’re probably aware of eight basic blood types: A, AB, B and O, each of which can be “positive” or “negative.” They're the most important, because a patient who receives ABO +/– incompatible blood very often experiences a dangerous immune reaction. When the mother came in to give birth, the blood was waiting. So her organization reached out to the compatible donor, collected half a liter of fresh blood, and shipped it across the Pacific. The ARDP had compatible frozen blood on hand, but Nance knew that a frozen bag might rupture in transit. From there, the request was forwarded to the American Rare Donor Program, directed by Sandra Nance. The problem was, the baby's blood type was so rare that there wasn't a single compatible donor in all of Australia.Ī request for compatible blood was sent first to England, where a global database search identified a potential donor in the United States. Doctors knew that the baby would need a blood transfusion immediately after delivery. Months before the delivery date, a routine checkup of the mom-to-be had revealed that the fetus suffered from hemolytic disease. Not long ago, a precious packet of blood traveled more than 7,000 miles by special courier, from America to Australia, to save the life of a newborn.
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