That’s it. Give a pint. If you can afford the time, give red cells. If you can afford more time, do Aphoresis.
Do it through your local blood bank. Easy to find. American Red Cross is a good place to start. American Red Cross
At the moment you can not possibly imagine or predict, someone you know will need a pint.
Or 4.
Or 11.
See a sign outside the mall? Firehouse? Town Hall? Take that moment, make the decision to give some time and some blood. I did while stopping by the local police station to ask a few questions. Blood drive going on. My type is rare ( A- ) but I didn’t have time to go back later when the red blood cell machine was being delivered. But I had time to give a pint.
I try, but at least three times out of four I fail the hemoglobin/hematocrit screen. So I’m wasting their time and money each time I can’t give them my O+.
I donate regularly so I feel less bad now that I temporarily cannot (pregnant) but I have been pretty good at finding people, usually first-timers, to donate on my behalf. I just got the postcard notifying me of upcoming drives at my preferred sites in the mail yesterday, so I guess it’s time to find somebody again.
Done - donated a pint of O+ about a week ago. The time before I did the aphoresis donation. I don’t give as much as I should, because life gets in the way, but I’ve been doing it for 30 years now. I think I’m up to about 6 gallons.
I donated a few weeks ago, on a trip to Chicago. When I lived in Chicago I donated frequently, both whole blood and, for several years, platelets. Unfortunately, for some reason the Red Cross has its local donation center at a place not easily accessible by public transportation, and I don’t drive.
I’m too small. Why can’t they just take a half pint? I would be a very regular donor if I could, my dad always was, and donated blood ended up saving his life several times over.
Donated my sweet pint of O- about a month ago. All you lousy non O- moochers, takin’ all my blood when I can’t take any of yours! I got the raw deal over here!
The Red Cross (ie secret vampire cabal…I mean, there’s no way they use all that blood…) loves me. I’m relatively young, so a lot of years left in me, I have great veins I’m told, O-, and my hematocrit is always good…my last donation it was 16.5.
Yeah. I have to take iron for a few days before a donation. I also have to do a couple of days of drinking extra water and have to put in some time doing aerobic exercises or there’s only a 50/50 chance they’ll sucessfully tap the vein.
I don’t give anywhere near as often as I could. Maybe 3 or 4 times a year.
Tried a couple weeks ago, but failed the hematocrit. I bought a bottle of iron supplements, and I’ll go back when I’ve been taking them for three weeks (and I’m over my cold).
