| Save a Life, Get a Cookie |
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| Written by Meghan Bamberger | ||||
| Tuesday, 17 April 2007 | ||||
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One of the easiest and most effective ways to help those in your community and throughout the country is to give the gift of life. Blood donation is always needed; approximately every two seconds an American needs to receive the gift of blood (that’s about 38,000 every day.) The American Red Cross works with over eight million blood donors, serving over 3,000 hospitals in the United States. Approximately sixty percent of the population is eligible to donate blood, but only five percent choose to do so. Shortages of all blood types typically occur during the summer months and over the winter holiday seasons; the most requested blood type by hospitals is type O. One blood donation can save up to three lives; the most common reason that donors say they donate blood is “wanting to help others.” If you starting donating blood at the age of seventeen and donated every fifty six days until the age of seventy six, you would have donated 48 gallons of blood in your lifetime, and potentially helped save 1,000 lives. You’re probably wondering who is eligible to donate and what you should expect? The American Red Cross sets general guidelines as to who is eligible to donate; donors must be at least 17 years old, 110 lbs., and have not donated blood within the last eight weeks. Donors could be deferred for the following reasons; fever, infection, leukemia or lymphoma, including Hodgkin’s disease, intravenous drug use, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), HIV or AIDS. Donors should remember that they are not eligible to donate if they have had a tattoo in the last twelve months if they do not live in a state that regulates tattoo facilities. Once you arrive at the donation center, here is a brief example of what you can expect to happen. You will be asked to provide identification, either a drivers license or blood donor card are acceptable, you will need to provide your name, date of birth and social security number. After the sign in process you will have a mini physical exam to check blood pressure, temperature and your red blood count will be measured. A Red Cross volunteer will then ask you about past and present lifestyle, this interview is kept confidential. Finally your arm is cleansed and readied for the donation process; you are on your way to saving lives. What happens to the blood once you donate though, what happens to it after the Red Cross leaves the blood drive? The Red Cross takes the blood to have nine tests performed; all donations are tested for HIV and hepatitis C and also remove some infected white blood cells from the donation. The donated blood is then transferred to hospitals across the country for patients in need of blood donations.  Add as favourites (0)
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