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I gave blood yesterday at the Red Cross on Park Road. I have not been a regular donor, but a few months ago decided to get in a donation pattern.
While there, I ask a Red Cross staff worker about the blood supply picture in the mid-Atlantic and New England states hit by Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy. She said as of yesterday that area of the country was showing a deficit of 14,000 units of whole blood. This means a blood shortage where it's needed in emergency situations, not to mention any elective surgery. The supply is not expected to get better any time soon.
I have an aversion to needles, which brings on cold sweats before the needle stick. On the other hand, I man-up, as they say, and give a pint to help others who will need blood.
If you do not have any issues that would preclude you from giving blood, contact the Red Cross and make an appointment. The whole process takes 45 minutes - an hour if you want to have two or three cookies and a Coke afterwards. It's virtually painless and when you see an 18 year old high school girl giving a pint of blood, one tends to forget about the needle stick.
I gave blood yesterday at the Red Cross on Park Road. I have not been a regular donor, but a few months ago decided to get in a donation pattern.
While there, I ask a Red Cross staff worker about the blood supply picture in the mid-Atlantic and New England states hit by Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy. She said as of yesterday that area of the country was showing a deficit of 14,000 units of whole blood. This means a blood shortage where it's needed in emergency situations, not to mention any elective surgery. The supply is not expected to get better any time soon.
I have an aversion to needles, which brings on cold sweats before the needle stick. On the other hand, I man-up, as they say, and give a pint to help others who will need blood.
If you do not have any issues that would preclude you from giving blood, contact the Red Cross and make an appointment. The whole process takes 45 minutes - an hour if you want to have two or three cookies and a Coke afterwards. It's virtually painless and when you see an 18 year old high school girl giving a pint of blood, one tends to forget about the needle stick.
Give, please.
What an awesome reminder of how so many of us can help the hurricane recovery effort right here at home
Donate Platelets every 7 days (up to 24 times a year)
If you've recently (in the past 8 weeks) donated blood, please consider donating Platelets. You are eligible to donate platelets every 7 days and can donate up to 24 times a year. Platelets help with clotting and are only good for 5 days so they are used quickly and can help up to 3 patients with one donation.
The process is very similar to donating blood. The main difference is that the blood is taken out of your arm, the platelets are separated and then all the blood is returned. The process takes 75 minutes for the machine to do it's magic but you are in a comfortable chair that reclines and most people opt to watch a movie or listen to music.
Platelets can only be donated at Red Cross Centers - there are no community drives. You'll need to call for an appointment 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-27677)
If you have any questions please feel free to ask me or call the Red Cross number. There is a special number to setup platelet donations and I'll provide that tomorrow when I get back to my office.
[Disclaimer: I've never donated platelets down in Charlotte, but I have been to the Winston Salem center multiple times so any experiences will be from that center and my first appointments with the new Greensboro center is in two weeks. Process wise it'll be the same, but it'll be tougher for me to recommend movies, W/S has over 200 to choose from. My last pick was Master and Commander]
Last edited by MysteryMT; 11-06-2012 at 06:53 PM..
Bumping this up!!! Not much more that I can do to help from here. Gave blankets, food, money and prayer! We can give blood.. Probably the most needed donation at this time. Blood still needs to get to the rest of the world! Please help if you can? We are one!!!
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Donate Platelets every 7 days (up to 24 times a year)
