National Blood Donor Month

How to Celebrate National Blood Donor Month

Do some good and save some lives by raising awareness for and celebrating National Blood Donor Month! Check out some of these important ways to get involved with the day.

Donate Blood

People who are healthy and meet the qualifications for donating blood should consider doing so as often as they can.

And National Blood Donor Month is a great way to start out the year with a new and selfless habit. So be sure to make an appointment to donate blood during this month. And since one blood donation can save up to three lives, it’s an excellent way to spend an hour!

Plus, donating blood is not only helpful for the recipients and many people don’t realize that there are also benefits for the person who gives blood.

Studies have shown that people who donate blood are likely to have help with lowering their blood pressure as well as a lower risk of heart attacks.

Learn Rules About Donation

Those folks who aren’t sure if they are eligible to donate blood can call or check the website of their local blood bank. The rules change based on the donation type, but here are some of the basic requirements that the Red Cross lists for giving whole blood:

• Weigh at least 110 pounds
• Be at least 16 years old (in most states)
• In good health and feeling well
• Have waited at least 56 days since giving blood previously

Make a Financial Donation

The American Red Cross and other charitable organizations have been making it possible for people to donate their blood for many years.

But the process of donating the blood comes with a cost that is underwritten by these organizations, including the cost of medical supplies, staffing, blood storage and more.

Perhaps some people who do not qualify to give blood for health reasons might still want to be supportive of this need.

National Blood Donation Month could be a great time to show support for the cause by signing up to make a financial gift, whether one time or recurring, to a local blood center of choice or to the American Red Cross.

Consider the Importance of Blood Donation

In the United States, the need for blood donation is very high. As the country with the third largest population in the entire world, someone in the US needs blood as often as every two seconds!

Check out some of these ways that blood donations are used to improve people’s health and even save their lives:

• Trauma patients often need blood, particularly red blood cells, when they lose it due to accidents, injuries and more.
• Cancer patients need blood donations because chemotherapy and radiation treatments suppress bone marrow making it difficult for them to produce their own healthy blood cells.
• Sickle Cell patients have a disease that produces red blood cells that don’t work properly and regular blood transfusions are often needed to keep them alive and reduce their pain.
• Patients who are in a burn unit may need blood transfusion due to surgery, blood loss, decreased red blood cells or they may also need plasma.

Share Resources About Blood Donation

Many different groups, such as schools, churches, community centers, large corporations and others, like to organize blood donation drives in celebration of National Blood Donor Month.

Those who are putting on a blood drive may want to do some marketing and share resources with their potential donors to raise awareness and encourage them to give.

A number of different charity organizations offer resources and toolkits for those interested in hosting a blood drive, including some from ImpactLife, the Association for Blood Donor Professionals, or the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies.

History of National Blood Donor Month

Since the 1600s, scientists and medical professionals have been interested in and excited about the idea of using live blood transfusions for people who need them.