Did you know that approximately 38% of the U.S population is eligible to donate blood, but only 10% of those who are eligible actually donate? There is always a strong demand for blood in our nation’s hospitals; 4.5 million Americans need blood transfusions every year, and they rely solely on donations. January is National Blood Donor Month, and we’d like to share some facts about how blood donation saves lives on a daily basis.
Someone needs blood every two seconds…
About one in every seven people entering a hospital is in need of blood. Roughly 40,000 pints of donated blood are used every day. That’s a lot of blood, but did you know that just one pint of blood could potentially save up to three lives?
There are many needs for blood…
- Cancer Patients: Certain cancers and cancer treatments make patients unable to naturally produce platelets.
- Trauma Patients: Trauma patients, such as those who have suffered a car accident, can need up to 100 pints of blood to recover.
- Sickle Cell Patients: About 1,000 babies in the U.S are born with sickle cell every year. These patients often require regular blood transfusions throughout their lives.
- Surgery Patients: Those undergoing orthopedic surgeries, organ transplants, marrow transplants, and cardiovascular surgeries require blood.
- And more!
You don’t need to have a special blood type for your donation to save lives…
Any healthy person over the age of 17 who weighs over 110 lbs is eligible for blood donation.
Blood centers often run short on types O and B. If you have one of these blood types, your blood is in high demand!
To conclude, blood is always needed. Don’t assume that others will donate enough blood to keep our hospitals adequately supplied. Get to a blood center and donate this month; your blood could have an impact far beyond what you’d expect.
Sources:
Community Blood Center
http://givingblood.org/about-blood/blood-facts.aspx
Red Cross
