American Red Cross Looking for Blood Donors During Holiday Season

Photo courtesy of: American Red Cross Blood DonorsPhoto courtesy of: American Red Cross Blood Donors

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.