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August 14th, 2015
Please take a minute to peruse the “Central Blood Bank” notice that I received in the mail recently. Check and see if you are available to donate blood at the above blood drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, August 20, at the Spring Hill Suites located at 908 National Road, Wheeling, W.Va. in the ground floor conference rooms.
As I stated in a previous blog, so many lives can be saved when you donate blood for a “life saving” transfusion. If you have never donated blood before, see the Central Blood Bank’s donation process below. I am going to attempt to donate blood, so come on and join me.
Here is a review of what happens in preparation for you to be approved to donate blood:
Step 1: Registration - You will be asked general information such as name and address. In order to maintain accurate records, all donors are asked to present proper identification (e.g. driver’s license, personalized Central Blood Bank donor ID card or military ID card, birth certificate and a picture ID with full name, etc.).
Step 2: Mini Physical – During the mini-physical, your temperature, pulse and blood pressure will be checked. Your hemoglobin will be tested as well — which involves a small drop of blood drawn and tested to ensure the donor has enough iron-carrying red blood cells to safely donate blood.
Step 3: Medical Interview – You will meet privately with a Central Blood Bank staff member to review your medical history. This information is kept strictly confidential.
Step 4: Pre-Donation Refreshments – before the donation, you may be asked to drink a glass or two of decaffeinated fluids to help hydration levels.
Step 5: The Donation – In the donation area, a trained phlebotomist will sterilize the area of your arm before drawing the blood. When donating whole blood, one unit (approximately one pint) is removed. An automated or apheresis donation means you are donating the individual component(s) – everything that you are not donating is returned to you. For example, if you donate platelets, whole blood is withdrawn and spun in a sterile, self-contained centrifuge to separate the platelets; then your red blood cells, white blood cells and plasma are all returned to you through the same needle. Apheresis and automated processes take longer than the whole blood donation process. All materials used during each donation are pre-packaged, sterile and disposable. These materials are used only once and then discarded.
Step 6: Refreshments and Relaxation – After the donation, you will be directed to the café/canteen area, where you will rest while enjoying light refreshments. After 15 minutes, you will be permitted to leave that area and resume your daily routine.
So, it is not hard to donate blood and usually only takes approximately 45 minutes to an hour. Please consider scheduling an appointment or just walk in.
To schedule an appointment, you can visit www.centralbloodbank.org and click “Make an Appointment” and search with the group code: C612. You can also schedule an appointment by calling Rachel at 421-209-7241.
There’s an added bonus! Every donor receives a $10 off $50 merchandise coupon that is redeemable at any official Steelers merchandise store and at steelers.com. Donors will also be able to enter into a random drawing for the Ultimate Game Day Package which includes: two tickets to a VIP tailgate party tent, pre-game field passes and tickets to a 2015 Pittsburgh Steelers regular season game. Even if you are not a Steelers fans, please come on out and donate blood.
