Find a Blood Drive
Find a Blood Drive
The simplest and most obvious reason is donating blood helps save lives! In a season of beautifully wrapped presents, this simple, free act could be the ultimate gift.
There have been many groundbreaking discoveries in medicine over the years, but there’s still no substitute for blood. Blood can’t be manufactured. It can only come from donors like you.
Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. This includes cancer patients, people with chronic diseases, cardiac and organ transplant patients, and babies that are born prematurely. In a medical emergency, having blood products on hand can make a lifesaving difference.
A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood. Blood donations are needed all year, but the need is even more urgent during the holidays. Unfortunately, the demand for blood coincides with a lower availability of donors due to vacations, seasonal illnesses, and severe weather.
Even in our state-of-the-art storage facilities, blood doesn’t last forever. The average person can only donate one pint of blood in a single donation, and the shelf life is only 42 days. A steady flow of blood donors is necessary to keep hospitals stocked in case of emergency.
Donating blood is an incredible way to help those in need, but you also get the added benefit of a free mini health assessment prior to donation. When you come in to donate, an American Red Cross staff member will check your blood pressure, hemoglobin, and pulse. We record this information in your online donor profile which you can access at any time and can help you manage your health.
If you are 17 years of age or older, weigh at least 110 pounds, and are in good health and feeling well, you are probably eligible to donate. In some states, 16-year-olds are eligible with parental consent. The actual donation can be pretty quick, but the whole process from start to finish only takes about an hour. The Red Cross strives to make the donation process as convenient as possible, but you can save additional time by using the Blood Donor App, going to RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to schedule a specific time to donate. To save time at your appointment, you can answer your health history questions from a PC or mobile device prior to arriving using RapidPass. You can then print out your RapidPass beforehand or show the PDF on your mobile device once you get to the blood drive or donation center. To complete a RapidPass, follow the instructions at redcrossblood.org/RapidPass. Otherwise, you can always fill out your health history questionnaire once you get there.
So, there you have it: five great reasons to donate this holiday season either on your own or with members of your family. We’d love to see you make giving blood your new holiday tradition!