Save a Life: Donate Blood

January is National Blood Donor Month. It is a month where we pay tribute to blood donors for their contribution. It is also a time to increase awareness and donation.

According to the American Red Cross, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. With no substitution for human blood, this need must be filled by volunteers willing to give their time and blood in advance. Blood recipients vary. Some are trauma victims, transplant recipients, children with cancer, or new mothers after complicated deliveries. Others have autoimmune disorders or chronic diseases. In each case, the blood they receive was given by a blood donor, someone who volunteered their time and blood without knowing who would need it, or when, or why.

It is estimated that 38% of the U.S. population are eligible blood donors, but less than 10% actually donate. To be eligible, the donor must be at least 17 years of age and weigh a minimum of 110 pounds. The donor must be in good health and feeling well at the time of donation. Travel outside of the United States and certain medications may limit eligibility. Check the Red Cross website for more specifics.

Donating

The donation process is relatively simple. For a first-time donor, a volunteer will review eligibility and aid with registration. Bring a photo ID. A quick medical history will need to be given while they check vitals and hemoglobin. Donation requires a quick prick of a needle and lasts about ten minutes. After the blood has been collected, the donor will have a snack and beverage to re-hydrate. The total process takes just over an hour.

Types of Blood Donations

Whole blood donation is the most common and flexible type of donation. It can be used in its original form or separated into red cells, plasma, and platelets. Donation time, from registration to re-hydration, takes about one hour. It is ideal for all blood types and is frequently given to trauma or surgery patients. Eligible donors can donate every eight weeks.

Power Red donation is when a donor gives a concentrated dose of red cells. Differing from whole blood donation, blood is removed from the donor’s arm, cycled through a machine in order to return plasma, platelets, and added saline to the donor’s body, thus allowing a safe donation of two units of red blood cells. This process takes about an hour and a half and is ideal for O positive, O negative, A negative, and B negative blood types. Eligible donors can donate every sixteen weeks.

Platelet donation is when the donor is hooked to an apheresis machine which collects and keeps platelets – the clotting mechanism of blood – and returns red cells back to the donor. Platelets are only collected at Red Cross donation centers and not at blood drives. This process can take upwards of three hours but is vital for cancer treatments, organ transplant procedures, and fighting chronic diseases such as Thrombocytopenia. Platelets have a shelf life of five days and can be donated every seven days.

AB Elite Plasma donation is ideal for AB positive and AB negative blood types. Similar to the Power Red donation, blood is cycled through a machine collecting the plasma and returning red blood cells and platelets back to the donor. AB Plasma is used in trauma situations and is collected at select Red Cross donation centers. Donation takes just over an hour and can be donated every 28 days.

More information

If you or members of your family are donors, from the bottom of our beating hearts, thank you. Your donation helps save lives.

If you’d like to become a donor or to find out more information and locate a donation center or blood drive near you, visit redcrossblood.org, download the Red Cross Blood Donor app to your smart phone, or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767).

jenniegollehon
Jennie is a native Nebraskan and aspiring writer. She’s a stay-at-home mom to three kids, two cats, a bearded dragon, and a handful of fish. When she’s not playing chauffeur, maid, cook, housekeeper, tutor, laundress, or answering to “Mom” a million times over; she hides in her writing nook and lives vicariously through her fiction characters. Jennie likes to read, take long walks, go on crazy road-trip vacations her wonderful husband plans, or simply sit on the deck with friends.