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New Year
arrives with challenges
CBC sees early demand as January blood donor month begins
If you are searching for a New Year’s resolution, a vital choice is
just an arm’s length away. Community Blood Center begins 2016 and
January National Blood Donor Month facing a challenge to the blood
supply. CBC is welcoming new donors, urging former donors to
return, and thanking regular donors for their dedication to helping
neighbors in need.
CBC blood donations were significantly slower this holiday period due
to the long Christmas and New Year’s weekends and five full week days
with no mobile blood drives. During that time emergency surgeries took
place requiring significant use of particular blood types.
Type O negative is the universal blood type, commonly used to treat
accident victims, and usually the first to run low. But currently
the more common blood types of O positive and A positive are in low
supply. Donors are encouraged to schedule an appointment online
at www.DonorTime.com.
National Blood Donor Month is observed in January because of the
expected challenges to the blood supply. Winter weather can make
travel difficult and disrupt the blood drive schedules at high schools
and work places. Seasonal illnesses can also interfere with
donating.
National Blood Donor Month is also a time to honor all those who donate
whole blood, platelets, and plasma.
“Winter presents so many challenges,” said CBC Chief Operating Officer
Jodi Minneman. “As I’m saying this, somewhere a patient needs blood, so
the urgency never goes away. But not a day of the year goes by
without hearing the stories and seeing the positive impact blood
donations make on people’s lives. We can’t thank our donors
enough. They give so much for the good of our community.”
CBC must register approximately 300 blood and platelet donors per day,
with an average of seven mobile blood drives per day, to meet the needs
of 24 partner hospitals in CBC’s 15-county service area.
Blood is needed approximately every two seconds to treat patients with
cancer and other diseases, organ transplant recipients, and accident
victims. Car accident victims may require dozens of units of
blood and blood products.
Only 37 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to give blood, and
less than 10 percent donate annually. That may be due to
misinformation or a fear of the process. A whole blood donation takes
about an hour, but the actual draw may take about 10 minutes.
If you are at least 17 years of age (16 with parental consent), weigh
at least 110 pounds and meet other donor requirements, you may be
eligible to donate blood. Learn more at www.GivingBlood.org.
Learn more at www.GivingBlood.org
Connect with Community Blood Center for the latest information and
services at www.GivingBlood.org. Get fast and complete answers on how
to make your first donation, organize a blood drive, or bring our
education program to your school. Get all the updates in the CBC/CTS
newsroom, find quick links to our social media pages, or schedule your
next appointment to donate by connecting to www.DonorTime.com.
Blood donation requirements: Donors are required to provide
a photo ID that includes their full name. Past CBC donors are
also asked to bring their CBC donor ID card. Donors must be at
least 16 years of age (16 years old with parental consent: form
available at www.givingblood.org or at CBC branch & blood drive
locations), weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, and be in good physical
health. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) changes blood
donor eligibility guidelines periodically. Individuals with
eligibility questions are invited to email canidonate@cbccts.org or
call 1(800)388-GIVE. Make an appointment at www.DonorTime.com.
Community Blood Center/Community Tissue Services® is an independent,
not-for-profit organization. Community Blood Center provides
blood products to 24 hospitals within a 15-county service area in the
Miami (Ohio) and Whitewater (Indiana) Valleys. For more
information about Community Blood Center/Community Tissue Services®,
visit www.givingblood.org.
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