(September, 2008)
There's something about being 16.
It's the magic number that signals a sort of rite of passage into adulthood. It means eligibility to obtain a driver's license and for many, being old enough to date, wear makeup and even get a job.
It also means a chance to regularly help save someone's life.
We now allow 16-year-olds to donate blood with written parental/guardian consent that weight at least 110 lbs. and are in general good health. They can donate their blood to someone else and help someone to live - what a simple, selfless gift.
If you are age 16-years-old and want to help someone, what better way to do that than to save their life? And it's so easy. All 16-year-olds will need a signed parental consent each time they donate their life-saving blood.
Parents should carefully read the following materials before signing the parental consent form:
The following four documents can not be printed.
Sign the consent form for your student and have them turn in the form prior to donating.
Youth blood donations are important. The one hour it takes to donate can mean decades of life to someone else. And one donation means so much because it can help up to three other people. And right now, that's so important. Only 38 percent of Americans are eligible to donate their blood yet only a fraction of those eligible donors actually donate.
So a "new generation" of blood donors is needed to meet patient needs in your community.
If you are 16-years-old, help someone by donating and then see how good it feels to know you've really made a difference.
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