Find a Blood Drive
Find a Blood Drive
OVERLAND PARK, KS. (Aug. 1, 2019) — The American Red Cross is teaming up with blood recipient and donor Meghan Jolliffe to host the Four Fierce Females Blood Drive Thursday, Aug. 15 from 2 to 8 p.m. at hOme Holistic, 7927 Floyd St., in Overland Park.
In November 2018, Meghan hosted her first blood drive and shared her story of how blood products helped save her life. During her pregnancy in Feb. 2018, she suffered an amniotic fluid embolism also known as AFE. During childbirth her heart stopped beating for 14 minutes resulting in the need for an emergency cesarean section. Meghan received over 100 units of blood within a 10-hour period during her procedures. Meanwhile, her son Sullivan also had complications that required one unit of blood.
Meghan is hosting another blood drive with four brave mothers, Megan Waters, Jennifer Cooper, Barb Carr and Priya Rani Johnson, known as the Four Fierce Females. Each one also received blood transfusions during, or immediately after, childbirth. They anticipate collecting 80 donations to help pay it forward to save more lives.
“When you look at these four women with their babies, you don’t see trauma, you see joy,” said Meghan. “That’s what you give when you donate. As a recent blood recipient, I thought it would be beautiful to find a few mothers who also required blood during delivery. It’s a lot more common than you think, yet no one talks about it. We have joined together at hOme holistic, a center for healing, to encourage new blood donors to give back.”
This blood drive comes as the Red Cross faces an emergency blood shortage. Blood donors are needed now to help avoid delays in lifesaving medical care for patients this summer. Right now, blood products are being distributed to hospitals faster than donations are coming in. More donations are immediately needed to help replenish the blood supply.
With the help of a generous $1 million donation from Amazon, the Red Cross is thanking those who help overcome the shortage by coming to give July 29 through Aug. 29 with a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email. (Restrictions apply; see amazon.com/gc-legal. More information and details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Together.)
Every two seconds in the United States blood and platelets are needed to respond to patient emergencies, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease. The Red Cross must collect more than 13,000 blood and platelet donations every day for the patients at about 2,500 hospitals nationwide.
How to donate blood
Simply download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org and use sponsor code homeholistic or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, from a computer or mobile device. To get started and learn more, visit RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.
Since 1914, the American Red Cross has served the Greater Kansas City area by preventing and alleviating human suffering. Today the Red Cross provides blood products and specialized laboratory services to hospitals in the Greater Kansas City area, including those within HCA Midwest Health. The Red Cross is the only blood services provider that also offers health and safety training, serves as a vital communication link between military personnel and their families, teaches disaster preparedness, and provides relief to victims of disasters for our community.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross
is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.