Why Donate Blood?

1. Patients need your gift of life!
   

   Every day 350 donors must give blood in order for Red Cross to meet the needs of patients at more than 16 hospitals in the South Bay (Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito counties) and more than 13 hospitals in the East Bay. Blood may, when needed, be shipped to other areas of the state and country.

2. It is a great way to learn your blood type
   

   When you donate your blood is typed for free.

3. You get a mini-physical
   

   Each donor has their blood pressure, pulse, hematocrit (anemia screening) and temperature checked. The entire donation process will take approximately 60 minutes.

4. Volunteer Work
   

   It is a convenient way to do volunteer work in your community.

5. Celebrate your good health
   

   Donate on your birthday, anniversary, or other special occasions with others.

6. It's A Big Morale Booster
   

   This is one of the few things you can do to directly save another person's life.

7. One donation goes a long way
   

   Your single donation may be separated into several blood products to help treat up to 4 different patients.

   • Red Cells: anemia, kidney dialysis, surgery
   • Plasma: burn victims, shock, liver disease
   • Platelets: leukemia, cancer, surgery
   • Cryoprecipitate: hemophilia
8. Donors help support special blood programs
   

   Frequent small transfusions of Red Cells are needed to provide life-sustaining oxygen for the immature lungs of tiny babies like this one.

   • Premature infant care
   • Rare donor registry
   • Pheresis program
   • Plasma for manufacture of blood clottingfactors, immune ("gamma") globulin, albumin
9. I want to know more about donating blood
   
   • How to donate blood (eligibility, making an appointment; process involved)
   • Where to donate
10. Did you know ...
    
    • Every 10 seconds , someone in the United States receives a blood transfusion
    • If you began donating blood at age 17 and donated every 56 days until you reached 76, you would have donated 48 gallons of blood
    • For every 2.8 gallons of blood someone has donated, they have supported the entire nation's blood needs for 1 minute
    • One out of every 10 people entering a hospital needs blood
    • The average transfusion is 3.4 pints
    • Females receive 57% of blood transfused; males receive 47%
    • A newborn baby has about one cup of blood in his or her body
    • An average adult has about 10 pints of blood in his or her body
    • About 95% of people living to the age of 72 will need a blood transfusion at some time in their life, yet only 5% of the population donates blood
    • China, a nation of over a billion people, uses approximately 2 million pints* of blood a year. In comparison, the USA, which is about 1/4 the size of China, uses 12 million pints of blood a year. This twentyfold greater use of blood in the USA reflects the greater number of sophisticated surgical and medical treatments being carried out here, made possible by an active all-volunteer blood supply. In China, only 1 percent of blood is provided by volunteer donors, with most of the rest coming from paid donors.  As of October, 1998, China has outlawed paid donations, and is taking strong action to encourage volunteer donations by every healthy citizen between 18 and 55 years of age. Their greatest challenge is overcoming the widespread fear that donating blood is harmful to one's health. (Source: Sophie Guo, Graduate Student, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China - Jan 6, 1999).
      
      (* A Chinese blood donation is 200 ml., or approx. 1/2 pint; US donations are 450-500 ml.)
11. What Happens to Your Donations
    

    Your blood donation can be separated into three individual components:

    • Red blood cells carry oxygen to all parts of the body and are administered to replenish blood loss and maintain adequate levels of oxygen. Red blood cells can be stored up to 42 days and are usually used by trauma or surgical patients.
    • Plasma, the liquid part of blood, is usually stored frozen for up to one year. Plasma is administered to patients with clotting problems.
    • Platelets clot the blood when cuts or other open wounds occur. Donated platelets must be used within days. Cancer and transplant patients often need repeated platelet transfusions.

    After processing, the separated components are held for about 48 hours until testing confirms they are safe for distribution. Once released, blood units are usually delivered to hospitals and patients within a few days. Since your blood is separated into the several components, your single donation can potentially save three or more lives.