It takes nearly 200 blood donations every day to meet the needs of area patients and to be ready for emergencies, Tammy Crites of United Blood Services said.
"We all expect blood to be there for us if we ever need it," Crites said. "But only about 5 percent of area residents donate blood. There are many people who believe they are not eligible to give blood when in fact they are. For example, diabetics, even insulin dependent, are usually able to give blood. Another example is someone who takes medication. There is a misconception that those who take medication absolutely cannot give blood, and that is not true. There are some medications that still allow a donor to be eligible to give blood."
Each blood donation can help several patients, Crites said. Every unit of donated blood is sent to United Blood Services' laboratory for testing and processing. Trained laboratory technicians separate the whole blood into components, including red blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate.
Donors must be at least 17, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. People who wish to donate may schedule an appointment by calling George Mendenhall at 775-5111 or logging on to www.UnitedBloodServices.org.
Crites said, "Blood donated here helps save the lives of patients in numerous hospitals, including Sequoyah Memorial as well as Sparks Regional Medical System and St. Edward Mercy Medical Center in Fort Smith."
