Sanborn, Iowa — The blood supply is always in need of replenishment. Your chance to do your part and give blood is coming up in Sanborn this Thursday, October 18th.
The American Red Cross will be holding a blood drive on Thursday from 12:00 noon – 6:00 p.m. at the Sanborn Community Center at 225 Main Street in Sanborn. You can schedule an appointment by calling Deb at 712-348-2484 or online at redcrossblood.org
You can also go to www.redcrossblood.org/RapidPass for information on completing the pre-reading and donation questions the day of the drive. Red Cross officials tell us that the blood supply is extremely low and the need is constant.
To ensure the safety of both patients and donors, there are some requirements donors must meet to be eligible to donate blood. They tell us you can donate blood every 56 days. You need to be in good health and feeling well. You have to be at least 16 years old and you must weigh at least 110 pounds.
The Red Cross says that if you don’t feel well on the day of your donation, they want you to call to cancel. They say if it’s been at least 24 hours after your symptoms pass, you can donate. Being on most medications will not disqualify you from being able to donate blood, but may require a waiting period after your final dose. Make sure you have the names or bottles of any medications you are on. Some people have a low iron level in their blood, which keeps them from donating with the Red Cross. They do tell us that if you were unable to donate due to low iron, you may still be able to donate in the future. The Red Cross recommends taking steps to help increase your iron level. Also, you may be deferred from donating blood or platelets if you have lived in or traveled to a malaria-risk country in the past three years.
Again, that blood drive is Thursday from noon to 6 p.m. at the Sanborn Community Center.
