Calling Area Residents to Give Blood May 3
Rock Valley, IA- The demand for blood at our local hospitals continues to surge as more patients are requiring blood transfusion for surgeries, treatment of cancer, and many other serious medical conditions. “Demand for blood is troubling as we are faced with the long term affects associated with the pandemic”, says Ken Versteeg, Executive Director, Community Blood Bank. “We are looking for some help to pull our blood supply up to stable levels. We are grateful for volunteers coming forward to impact a community by just the simple act of giving blood. Life is very unpredictable, but through the help of blood donors we can provide predictability maintaining an adequate blood supply for our community. Join in to save lives through this month of giving. As we are facing a CRITICAL blood shortage.”
Please consider donating blood on Tuesday, May 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Hegg Health Center. To schedule a donation log onto cbblifeblood.org, select “events”, May 3, and Hegg Health Center or call 712-476-8020. Info at cbblifeblood.org. All who donate receive a Subway gift card.
Community Blood Bank supplies over 550 units of blood each week to people in northwestern Iowa, southeastern South Dakota, and southwestern Minnesota. Giving blood is a short process that will change a patient’s outlook quickly. When a person chooses to give blood, they potentially will save up to three lives. The blood is separated into components of platelets, plasma, and red blood cells. Each components has the potential to be transfused to a local patient requiring one of the specific product. Trauma patients will use up to 50 blood components throughout their healing process, a heart surgery patients will use up to 6 units of blood, and a cancer patients could use up to 100 units of blood through their treatment. Volunteer blood donors can donate blood every 56 days and provide hope 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.
Donor must be at least 17 years old (16 years old with a signed parent consent form found at www.cbblifeblood.org) weigh 110 pounds or more and be in good general health. Donors exhibiting cold or flu symptoms are unable to donate. A valid identification is required at the time of registration. It is recommended that a person eat and drink plenty of fluid prior to donating blood. For information log onto www.cbblifeblood.org or call 1-877-877-3070.
