By: Rodney Wilson—
Donors of all blood types urged to give blood, platelets this holiday season
Ft. Wayne, IN— The American Red Cross is urging eligible donors to give more life to patients now and into the new year by giving blood or platelets.
Donations decline during the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day when busy holiday schedules cause regular donors to be less available to give and many blood drives may be canceled due to severe winter storms. Last year, nearly 64,000 fewer blood and platelet donations were given through the Red Cross during the seven weeks from Thanksgiving through the first week of January than the average during the rest of the year.
“By taking just about an hour of time today, you can help save someone’s life within a few weeks or even days of your donation,” said Rodney Wilson, communications manager of the Red Cross Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region. “We’re asking donors to give now to help ensure blood is available when patients need it most.”
Blood is perishable and can only be replenished by volunteer donors. Red blood cells, the most transfused blood product, must be transfused within 42 days. Platelets, the tiny cells that form clots and help stop bleeding, must be transfused within just five days. More than half of all platelet donations go to cancer patients who may need platelet transfusions to prevent life-threatening bleeding during chemotherapy.
“Platelet donors don’t have to wait a few weeks to make a difference in a patient’s life,” said Wilson. “Someone could donate platelets on Monday, and by Friday, those same platelets can help someone’s fight to kick cancer.”
Kelly Ellison certainly knows that. Twenty-eight weeks into her third pregnancy, she was raced to the hospital with uncontrollable bleeding and received a doubly devastating diagnosis. Not only did she have aplastic anemia – a rare blood disorder in which the body’s bone marrow does not produce enough new blood cells – doctors also detected kidney cancer. Kelly received 43 units of blood and platelets. Five weeks later, she gave birth prematurely to her son, who also needed blood transfusions to survive.
“Our lives have been forever changed because of lifesaving blood and platelet donations,” said Ellison. “Every breath I take is a blessing!”
All blood types are needed this winter. Platelet donations are especially encouraged the first week of the new year, which is among the most difficult to collect enough platelets to meet patient needs. Donation appointments can be quickly and easily scheduled by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
As a special thank-you for taking the time to donate, those who come to give Dec. 21 through Jan. 7 will receive a long-sleeved Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities:
Delaware County
Albany
1/12/2018: 2 p.m. – 8 p.m., Albany Elementary School, 700 West State Street
Muncie
12/21/2017: 2:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., YMCA Downtown, 500 S Mulberry Street
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Hamilton County
Fishers
1/6/2018: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Kroger, 11700 Olio Road
Sheridan
12/27/2017: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sheridan Public Library, 103 West First Street
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Hancock County
Greenfield
1/5/2018: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Village Dentistry, 626 North State Street
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Hendricks County
Avon
12/20/2017: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Co-Alliance, 5250 E US Hwy 36, Building 1000
Plainfield
12/29/2017: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Sprint, 2663 East Main Street
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Henry County
Middletown
12/21/2017: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m., Miller’s Merry Manor, 981 Beechwood Ave
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Madison County
Anderson
12/28/2017: 3 p.m. – 7 p.m., LivRite Fitness, 4018 Columbus Avenue
1/4/2018: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Lowes Warehouse, 3335 S Scatterfield Road
Chesterfield
1/4/2018: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m., Millcreek Civic Center, 403 W Main Street
Elwood
12/19/2017: 1 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., St. Vincent Mercy Hospital, 1331 South A Street
Pendleton
12/18/2017: 2 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Fall Creek Christian Church, 1102 W 700 S
1/15/2018: 1:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., First United Methodist Church Pendleton, 225 West State Street
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Marion County
Indianapolis
12/22/2017: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., Lowes, 8002 North Shadeland
12/26/2017: 3 p.m. – 7 p.m., LivRite Fitness, 6220 N Butler Avenue
12/27/2017: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., IU Health Methodist Hospital, 1701 Senate Blvd.
12/27/2017: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Granite City Food and Brewery, 150 West 96th Street
12/29/2017: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Jordan YMCA, 8400 Westfield Blvd
1/3/2018: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Humane Society of Indianapolis, 7929 N. Michigan Rd.
1/5/2018: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., American Red Cross, 1510 North Meridian
1/10/2018: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Riley Outpatient Center, 575 Riley Hospital Drive
1/10/2018: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., IUPUI – School of Nursing, 600 Barnhill Drive
1/11/2018: 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., IUPUI – Taylor Hall, 815 West Michigan
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Putnam County
Coatesville
1/10/2018: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Heritage Lake Clubhouse, 1000 Clubhouse Road
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Bartholomew County
Columbus
12/26/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., IHOP/Culver’s Blood Drive, 54 Johnson Blvd.
1/11/2018: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., The Commons, 300 Washington Street
Hope
1/15/2018: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Hope Moravian Church, 202 Main Street
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Brown County
Nashville
12/28/2017: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Brown County YMCA, 105 Willow Street
1/10/2018: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Parkview Church of the Nazarene, 1750 East State Road 46
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Decatur County
Greensburg
1/3/2018: 2 p.m. – 6 p.m., Walmart, 710 E. Freeland Rd.
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Greene County
Bloomfield
1/2/2018: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Cincinnati Christian Church, 11432 SR 54 East
Linton
1/2/2018: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., Linton Public Library, 95 SE 1st St
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Jennings County
North Vernon
12/19/2017: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Senior Citizens Center, 515 Buckeye Street
1/4/2018: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Walmart, 2380 N State Highway 3
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Johnson County
Franklin
1/4/2018: 2 p.m. – 6 p.m., Johnson County Public Library, 401 State Street
1/8/2018: 2 p.m. – 6 p.m., Walmart, 2125 North Morton
Greenwood
12/27/2017: 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Johnson County Library White River Branch, 1664 Library Blvd.
1/5/2018: 3 p.m. – 7 p.m., Walmart Greenwood, 1133 N. Emerson Rd
Whiteland
1/13/2018: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., SouthPointe Church, 70 West St.
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Lawrence County
Bedford
12/22/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Walmart, 3200 John Williams Blvd.
Mitchell
12/26/2017: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Mitchell Manor Nursing Home, 24 Teke Burton Drive
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Monroe County
Bloomington
12/20/2017: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Indiana University Health Bloomington, 601 West Second Street
12/20/2017: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Bloomington Blood Donation Center, 1600 W. 3rd St.
12/20/2017: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Monroe County Public Library, 303 East Kirkwood Ave
12/21/2017: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Bloomington Blood Donation Center, 1600 W. 3rd St.
12/22/2017: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Bloomington Blood Donation Center, 1600 W. 3rd St.
12/23/2017: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., Bloomington Blood Donation Center, 1600 W. 3rd St.
12/27/2017: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Bloomington Blood Donation Center, 1600 W. 3rd St.
12/28/2017: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Bloomington Blood Donation Center, 1600 W. 3rd St.
12/29/2017: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Bloomington Blood Donation Center, 1600 W. 3rd St.
12/30/2017: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., Bloomington Blood Donation Center, 1600 W. 3rd St.
12/31/2017: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., Bloomington Blood Donation Center, 1600 W. 3rd St.
1/3/2018: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Bloomington Blood Donation Center, 1600 W. 3rd St.
1/4/2018: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Bloomington Blood Donation Center, 1600 W. 3rd St.
1/5/2018: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Bloomington Blood Donation Center, 1600 W. 3rd St.
1/6/2018: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., Bloomington Blood Donation Center, 1600 W. 3rd St.
1/10/2018: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Bloomington Blood Donation Center, 1600 W. 3rd St.
1/10/2018: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., Monroe County YMCA – Northwest, 1375 N. Wellness Way
1/11/2018: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Bloomington Blood Donation Center, 1600 W. 3rd St.
1/12/2018: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Bloomington Blood Donation Center, 1600 W. 3rd St.
1/13/2018: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., Bloomington Blood Donation Center, 1600 W. 3rd St.
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Morgan County
Martinsville
12/29/2017: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., IU Health Morgan, 2209 John R Wooden Drive
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Vigo County
Terre Haute
12/28/2017: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Union Hospital, 1606 North 7th Street
How to donate blood or platelets
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org 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.
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.
