Barley Juarez is the south division communications manager covering Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana for Vitalant, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit blood and biotherapies healthcare organizations. She has been an employee for six years with Vitalant, whose mission is to find a better way for the patients, hospitals and communities they serve and positively impact.
What are the basic eligibility requirements for donating blood?
Donating blood is safe and easy to do, but there are a few basic requirements to donate blood. If you are in good health and meet the general eligibility blood donation requirements, then you are likely able to give blood. Participants must be at least 16 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds. For specific requirements in your area, call 877-258-4825.
Participants must also be in good general health. You should not be under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs at the time of donation. You must wait eight weeks between whole blood donations.
The Food and Drug Administration has established blood donation requirements to keep the blood supply safe from bloodborne diseases and also keep patients safe from anything in a donor’s blood (such as a medication) that could harm them.
Lilli Chatagnier pats her mother’s head, Jessica Boothe, in a show of support before her blood is drawn during the Vitalant blood drive at Perkins Rowe on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.
Do you have any tips for a successful blood donation or how participants should prepare before, during and after?
Before you roll up your sleeve to help someone else, we always ask you to take care of yourself too. Here are some things each donor can do to prepare themselves before and after their donation.
- Eat a healthy, low-fat meal within two hours of your donation. The day before, eat a salty snack. When you donate blood, you lose about a gram of salt. Replacing it ahead of time helps keep your blood pressure normal.
- Hydrate by drinking 8 to 16 ounces of non-alcoholic beverages one hour before you donate. Water or sport drinks are great choices.
- Upon arrival, check-in for your appointment and make sure to bring a valid picture ID with you to your donation.
- The specialist will clean an area on your arm and insert a sterile needle to begin.
- Samples of your blood will be collected for testing. You will then complete the donation process.
- Enjoy light refreshments to replenish fluids and nutrients.
How many lives does a single blood donation save?
Daily personal emergencies and ongoing medical needs of thousands of patients require a constant and ready blood supply. Every day in the U.S. patients in hospitals, surgical centers, and emergency treatment facilities need approximately:
- 30,000 units of Red blood cells
- 6,000 units of platelets
- 6,000 units of plasma
All three of these blood components is what make up a whole blood donation and the reason why we say that each donor can save up to three lives with each whole blood donation.
Blood is drawn from donor Scotty Dore at Vitalant on Friday, September 18, 2020 in Lafayette, FL.. The blood supply is low and blood donations are needed.
What is the importance of blood donation?
Donating blood makes an impact, and everyone can play a role by becoming a donor. When you give blood with Vitalant, you have the potential to help hospital patients within your community and nationwide.
There is a global increased need for blood donations due to a decrease in donor population which directly affects the number of donations per year, which has decreased as well over the past few years.
On July 16, Vitalant went on an emergency appeal due to the shortage of type O blood. All donors, especially those with type O, are urged to make an appointment to give. The supply of type O recently dropped to an 18-month low and must be replenished immediately to avoid delays in patient care.
Are there any complications with blood donation after the coronavirus. If so, how can people combat that?
The blood donation process has been the same before, during and after the pandemic. During the that time, we saw a severe decline in blood collections. Since then, and with the constant help and support of our donor base, we have grown and increased our needed blood supply greatly.
We are still not at the levels we were before COVID but continue to claim daily to achieve the levels we were prior to the pandemic. Most donors can give at least three times a year but many only utilize one donation yearly.
This is why being a blood donor and donating blood is so vital because there is no artificial substitution for blood. Every two seconds someone needs a blood transfusion.
Is there anything else you want the community to know?
Vitalant is hosting a "Grocery Giveaway" soon. All who donate blood now until Aug. 29 will be automatically entered for a chance to win one of two $10,000 gift cards. All donors who come to give blood, platelets or plasma will receive a $10 gift card via Donor Rewards. Donors must have an online donor account and be opted into the Donor Rewards program to redeem points for the $10 gift card.