Giving Blood Saves Lives

Blood is essential to life and there is no substitute. It cannot be made or manufactured.

Generous blood donors are the only source of blood for patients in need of a blood transfusion.

About 62% of the population is eligible to donate blood but only about 3% donate blood. Compound that statistic with the fact that about every 2 seconds someone needs blood.

There are many reasons patients need blood:

• More than 25% of the blood supply is used by patients battling cancer

• 1 out of every 83 childbirths will require a blood transfusion

• The second most common medical procedure in U.S. hospitals is the transfusion of blood and blood products

• 3.2% of the blood supply is used to treat pediatric patients

There are 8 different blood types: O+ O- A+ A- B+ B- AB- AB+

There are three primary ways to donate blood:

1 – Whole blood: Whole blood is made up of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, all of which are suspended in a liquid called plasma. Whole blood donation is the method that most people recognize. This is the traditional way of donating and draws a pint of blood containing red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma at one time. It usually takes less than 1 hour and part of that is paperwork. You can donate every 56 days or 6 times a year. This blood can be kept refrigerated for about 35 days.

2 - Double Red Cell: During a double red blood cell donation, only your red blood cells are collected, excluding the platelets and plasma. This specialized donation process, known as automation or aphaeresis, focuses on extracting red blood cells.

In our area this is done on the Big Red Bus and it only takes about 1 ½ hours with paperwork. You can donate double red cells every 112 days, which is approximately every 16 weeks, for a total of three donations a year. They can keep this refrigerated for about 42 days.

3 – Platelets: Platelets are tiny cells in your blood that form clots and stop bleeding. During a platelet donation, they only collect your platelets, returning the rest of the blood components. It takes about 2 ½ hours including the paperwork and you can do this at the One Blood Center on Rt 77 near Kohls. You can donate every 7 days though it is recommended to do 14 days allowing you to donate up to 24 times a year. They are transfused within 5 days and are always in demand.

What to know about your donation:

Make an appointment and then sit down with a nurse with your ID and answer a few private questions. They will check your temperature, pulse, blood pressure, cholesterol, and hemoglobin level and do a brief medical history review. If it all aligns you will then be sent to a lounger seat to give blood. After giving blood you can rest for a moment and have a snack before heading out.

Once you have finished donating, your gift’s journey has just begun. Your unit of blood is sent for processing, and the sample tubes are sent to the lab for testing.

Each and every unit of donated blood undergoes 18 state-of-the-art tests to ensure it is 100% safe for transfusion.

Meanwhile, your unit of blood is being prepared for hospital shipment. Depending on your blood type and donation method, each unit is optimized for patient use.

My OneBlood Journey will then notify you when your unit is on its way to a hospital.

Find out more and make your appointment at: https://www.oneblood.org/ , call: 850-785-9398 or stop by the Martin Luther King Donor Center at 2696 MLK Jr. Blvd., Panama City, FL 32405.

Resource: https://www.oneblood.org/