The ABC11 Together Blood Drive
Every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood, but communities across the country are experiencing one of the worst blood shortages in over a decade.
That's why ABC11 teamed up with the American Red Cross, Univision 40, and the stations of Radio One Raleigh to hold the ABC11 Together Blood Drive on January 12. Donors from across the Raleigh, Durham, and Fayetteville areas rolled up their sleeves to help save lives. In the end, 378 units of blood were collected!
But the need is still great. Every donation is critical.
Schedule your appointment to donate blood today!
Blood is needed for accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer, or sickle cell disease. Unless more donors give, some patients requiring transfusion may not receive the blood products they need.
"Right now, we're trying to decide who needs the blood and who needs to wait," said Dr. Nick Bandarenko, Transfusion Services Dir. at Duke University Hospital. "But if we don't get more donors out there soon and get the blood supply chain built back up, we might have to be making decisions about who gets blood and who does not."
During the ABC11 Together Blood Drive, all presenting donors received a long-sleeved Red Cross t-shirt and a $20 Amazon.com gift card via email. Other gifts included a free pizza code from Papa John's and a voucher from participating Dunkin restaurants.
And thanks to the partnership between the Red Cross and NFL, all who give blood by January 31 will be automatically entered to win a getaway to next year's Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles! As an extra thank you from the Red Cross, donors will also be entered to win a home theater package and a $500 e-gift card. Terms apply; visit RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl for more information.
If you plan to donate, here's what to expect
To give blood, donors must:
- be at least 17 years of age or 16 with signed parental consent
- weigh at least 110 pounds
- be in good health
- have proof of identification (blood donor card, driver's license, or two other forms of ID)
You can save up to 15 minutes at the donation site by completing a RapidPass before arriving. With RapidPass, donors complete the pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of donation, from a mobile device or computer.
To complete a RapidPass, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Red Cross Blood Donor App.
The Red Cross is also screening all donations from self-identified African American donors for the sickle cell trait. This is a helpful insight for the donor and helps the Red Cross quickly identify compatible blood types for patients. Blood transfusion is an essential treatment for those with sickle cell disease, and blood donations from individuals of the same race, ethnicity, and blood type have a unique ability to help patients fight the disease.
Donors can expect to receive sickle cell trait screening results, if applicable, within one to two weeks through the Red Cross Blood Donor App and the online donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org.
