- 4.5 million Americans would die each year without life saving blood transfusions.
- Approximately 32,000 pints of blood are used each day in the United States.
- Every three seconds someone needs blood.
- One out of every 10 people entering a hospital needs blood
- Just one pint of donated blood can help save as many as three people’s lives.
- The average adult has 10 pints of blood in his or her body.
- One unit of blood is roughly the equivalent of one pint
- Blood makes up about 7% of your body’s weight
- A newborn baby has about one cup of blood in his or her body.
- The average red blood cell transfusion is 3.4 pints
- Blood fights against infection and help heal wounds, keeping you healthy.
These are all statistics from Brookhaven National Laboratory’s blood drive site. One for each day of March so far. I’ll continue to post a fact from this list on our Facebook Page, each day in March up until our Blood Drive with Red Cross on March 30th.
We’ve all heard about donating blood but… how many of us have actually reserved our time and done it? I know lots of people who haven’t, either because they don’t have time, don’t know where, or have fear of needles.
So, this month on March 24th, I (Jaynee) turn 17! Because of this, we decided to reserve this specific month for donating blood, because now I’m finally going to be old enough.
If you’re interested in helping people, even if you don’t like needles, consider doing this with us. You’ll have people by your side to support you, and you will be provided with yummy cookies after you donate.
If you would like to join us, you can fill out this form and we will contact you about the date and time, as well as eligibility.
Things you need to know before donating your blood
We know that it looks like a lot, but we promise that it’s not once you go over the list. If you have any questions, let us know on our Facebook page, or to jaynee.nutella@gmail.com.
- If you are 17, you must have your parents consent to donate blood
- You must bring passport, or valid Thai Identification
- You should get a good nights of rest before day of donation
- You must eat prior to donation, but try to avoid high protein
- If you have had any body piercings or tattoos in the last 12 months you are not eligible for donation
- If you are taking aspirin, you must stop taking it 3 days before day of donation
- If you are on antibiotics you must go 1 week without them before day of donation
- If you smoke, it’s recommended to not smoke 1 hour before, and one hour after to allow good blood flow
- If you currently have an illness that could be transferred by blood, you cannot donate blood (this includes allergies)
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women cannot donate
- If you have had a miscarriage or abortion 6 months prior to day of donation, you are not eligible
- If you’ve ever had a drug addiction, you must be 3 years clean
- If you have undergone major surgery in the last 6 months, you are not eligible for donation
- If you have had malaria, you must not have had symptoms 3 years prior to day of donation
- You must not get a vaccine within 14 days of donation
- You must not get any tooth extraction, filling, scaling, or root canal treatment 3 days prior to day of donation
We hope that you join us!
Much love from The HOPP Team
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