More than 41,000 blood donations are needed across the nation every day but donations tend to slow down in the holiday months, even though accidents happen all year long.
While the average adult has 10 pints of blood in his or her body, a single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood transfusions during the treatment process, according to the Red Cross website.
The Red Cross is holding blood drives in Gilroy and Morgan this holiday season, so that blood is on the shelves and waiting before the emergencies even occur.
“Historically, during the winter months of November, December and January, fewer donors make the time to give blood due to competing seasonal activities, celebrations and holiday shopping,” said Communications Manager Jared Schultzman of the Red Cross Northern California Blood Services Region in a press release. “By doing something that doesn’t cost a thing, you can give an amazing gift – you can offer hope to a patient in need.”
Blood cannot be manufactured – it only comes from generous donors. The typical donation is about one pint of blood and can save up to three lives – as various blood transfer products such as red blood cells, platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate are given to various hospital patients across the nation.
The actual blood donation takes about 10 to12 minutes. The entire process – including the mini-physical to ensure the donor is ready to give blood, and the recovery, in which donors indulge in eating sugary cookies and drinks to boost their blood pressure – takes about an hour and 15 minutes, according to the Red Cross Website.
The American Red Cross supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply and provides patients with blood at 2,700 hospitals across the U.S.
Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood.
All donated blood is tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and other infectious diseases before it can be released to hospitals. Information given to the American Red Cross during the donation process is confidential.
Donors should bring two forms of identification and avoid eating fatty foods such as hamburgers, fries and ice cream in the hours before a donation.
For more information go to: http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood.
Morgan Hill:
-3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at the Centennial Recreation Center on 171 West Edmundson Ave. Call 1-800-RED-CROSS to schedule an appointment.
-1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Jan. 16 at the Advent Lutheran Church on 16870 Murphy Ave. Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or go to redcrossblood.org. Use the sponsor code “ADVENT” to schedule an appointment.
Gilroy
-1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Jan. 9 at the First Baptist Church on 8455 Wren Ave. Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or go to redcrossblood.org. Use the sponsor code “GILROY” to schedule an appointment.
