Patients who need blood transfusions often describe the effects as immediate. Nonprofit blood services provider Vitalant urges all eligible blood donors to give blood in March and make a lifesaving difference.
Blood Donations Make an Instant Difference
At 21, doctors diagnosed Sarah Ortiz with Ewing Sarcoma, a bone cancer. She underwent a difficult .jpg "Sarah-Ortiz-(2).jpg")
chemotherapy protocol that took a toll on her body. Platelet and blood transfusions helped her eventually beat cancer.
“I was nervous at first to receive a blood transfusion, but by the time I was done, I had color in my cheeks; my gums turned pink, and I had energy, so much so, I became chatty and vibrant,” Ortiz said. “Each time I received blood I felt like a new person again. It allowed my body to not have to work so hard.”
All Blood Types Are Needed
Donors of all types are needed to help patients of all blood types. The need is greatest for type O, the most transfused and most compatible when a patient’s type isn’t immediately known.
March is Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month
Blood donations are needed not just for emergencies and acute illnesses, but for patients who have long-term health issues. The most common bleeding disorder, von Willebrand disease, affects the blood’s ability to clot and can cause excessive bleeding and pain. Among other treatments, blood donations may help those whose blood does not clot properly on its own.
A Special Thanks to Donors
March 1-31, donors who give will be automatically entered into the Lucky Giveaway to win one of two $5,000 prepaid gift cards.*
Learn more at vitalant.org, download and use the Vitalant blood donor app or call 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825).
*See vitalant.org/luckygiveaway for terms, conditions and official rules.