According to the American Red Cross (@RedCross), someone in the U.S. is in need of blood every two seconds. During the winter months the call for donors is on the rise due to weather related road accidents as well as other issues that surface. Unfortunately, the winter season is also a time when blood donations decline due to either sickness and those same dangerous road conditions. January marks Blood Donor Month and we’ve dedicated this week’s Friday Five to rallying our readers to roll up their sleeves, give blood, and maybe even save a life or two.
What’s In, What’s Out for 2017
This one minute read from the American Red Cross (@redcross) is highly informative and will most likely answer any and all of the questions you may have about the latest in blood donation. From helpful apps to locate donation centers and speed up the process, to which type of blood donation might be right for you, they have a little bit of something for everyone.
4 Unexpected Benefits of Donating Blood
Giving blood is a basically a selfless act and one of the common side effects of selfless acts is feeling good about oneself. However, Time (@TIME) magazine reports that there may also be physical benefits to becoming a blood donor as well.
Give Blood: The Ultimate Renewable Resource
Memorial Blood Centers (@MemorialBldCtrs) offers some solid arguments for why each one of us should donate blood. It is very likely that you or someone you know will need a blood transfusion since 1 out of 3 people will need blood in their lifetime. “From natural disasters to unforeseen catastrophes, emergency hospital procedures to life-long battles with chronic diseases such as sickle cell, the demand for blood is constant. The supply is not. And since there is no substitute, only volunteer blood donors can roll up their sleeves and save lives.”
Your help needed to replenish blood supply after winter weather canceled 200+ blood drives. Please make an appt at https://t.co/AT9FK2DWet. pic.twitter.com/erCzo5iJ3k
— American Red Cross (@RedCross) January 10, 2017
Lives You Save: Patient Stories
Still not sure you think it’s worth it to donate blood? Afraid of needles or don’t think you can make the time in your busy schedule? Maybe you could be convinced by reading some if these stories from patients who were saved from blood donations made at the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center (@uclahealth).
LifeCapsule
In 2017 donating blood can mean something different than what it has been in the past. Today many people are choosing to donate a sample of their blood to potentially help themselves and others now and hopefully in the near future. Intrigued? Find out more about this idea by visiting LifeCapsule, the world’s largest blood cell repository dedicated to supporting regenerative medicine. Thousands of people have already contributed to advancing the future of healthcare—and to safeguarding their own future health.
Help map the course of modern #medicine with a trail of #DNA. https://t.co/2VKEIjTmaT #JoinTheMovement #iBled4MED #NationalBloodDonorMonth pic.twitter.com/0loKFTcLOI
— ORIG3N Inc (@ORIG3N_Inc) January 10, 2017
ICYMI – Our other Friday Fives.
