National Blood Donor Awareness Month

Since 1970, January has been named National Blood Donor Month to raise awareness of the need. Donating blood saves many lives and can improve the health of so many. The World Health Organization calls blood the Gift of Life.

While most of us are likely coming off of a busy holiday season, we might overlook the Big Red Bus. According to the American Red Cross, winter is “one of the most difficult times of year to collect enough blood products to meet patient needs.”

What Is the Blood Donation Process?

Generally, the donation process is straightforward and generally can take up to an hour for the entire process. The American Red Cross details the process as follows:

1. Registration: You will sign in and go over basic eligibility requirements, as well as provide contact information
2. Health History: You will answer some questions about your history, where you have traveled, any medication you are taking, and a quick vitals check (temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and hemoglobin level)
3. Blood Donation: After cleansing an area on your arm, a brand new sterile needle will be used for the blood draw.
   • If donating whole blood, the process will take 8-10 minutes. Approximately a pint of blood will be collected.
   • If donating platelets, a small amount of blood will be collected, and an apheresis machine will be used to remove the platelets. The rest of the blood will be returned to your arm. This process is repeated several times over roughly 2 hours.
4. Recovery: After donating, you will be offered a refreshment and monitored for about 10 to 15 minutes.

What Are the Donor Eligibility Requirements?

Apart from being in good health and feeling well at the time of donation, here are the eligibility requirements from The Red Cross for the different types of donations:

For whole blood donation:

• Donations can be made every 56 days and up to 6 times a year
• You must be at least 16 years old – but check YOUR states requirements
• You must weigh at least 110 pounds

For a Power Red Donation:

• Donations can be made every 112 days and up to 3 times a year
• Male Donors – must be at least 17 years old, at least 5 foot 1 inches, and weigh at least 130 pounds
• Female Donors – must be at least 19 years old, at least 5 foot 5 inches, and weigh at least 150 pounds

For Platelet Donation:

• Donations can be made every 7 days and up to 24 times a year
• You must be at least 17 years old – but check YOUR states requirements
• You must weigh at least 110 pounds

AB Elite Plasma Donation:

• Donations can be made every 28 days and up to 13 times a year
• You must have type AB blood
• You must be at least 17 years old
• You must weigh at least 110 pounds

According to Jared Shipley, P.A. with Brevard Health Alliance, there are some additional common eligibility requirements for donating:

• Blood pressure must be >90/50 and <180/100
• Heartrate must be <100
• Cannot be pregnant
• No recent incarceration, history of HIV, or diagnosis of gonorrhea within the last 3 months
• Cannot take blood thinning medication

What Next?

If you are interested in donating blood, the American Red Cross and One Blood are great resources to learn where you can! Also, reach out to your healthcare provider or Brevard Health Alliance to make sure you are in tip-top shape before donating! As Brevard County’s only Federally Qualified Health Center, we are here to care for you!

On January 4th, 2023 from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., there will be a OneBlood bus in the parking lot of the BHA Sarno Clinic located at 2120 Sarno Rd. Melbourne, FL 32935. Stop by and save a life!