Nonprofit blood services provider Vitalant, which serves about 900 hospitals across the U.S., urges all eligible donors to give blood during Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month in March and help patients who rely on regular donations to support their treatment, as well as emergency patient needs. Bleeding disorders including hemophilia and von Willebrand disease prevent blood from clotting properly, and blood donations provide components vital to their treatment. More than 3.2 million Americans are affected by a bleeding disorder.
All Blood Types and Platelets Needed Urgently, Especially Type O
Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood and it can take up to two-and-a-half days for donated blood to be ready to help patients after processing and testing. Type O blood is the most transfused blood type, with the universal type O negative often used in emergency situations when there isn’t time to determine a patient’s blood type. Platelets help form blood clots and stop bleeding. About half of all platelet donations support cancer patients.
Free Cholesterol Testing with Donation
An added benefit of donating blood is the mini-physical: each donor receives a check of their pulse, blood pressure and a cholesterol test that can be tracked with each visit in their secure and confidential online account.
How to Give
To learn more and schedule an appointment to donate, please visit vitalant.org or call 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825). Donors who meet all eligibility requirements can give regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status. Donors who’ve recovered from COVID-19 are eligible after a brief waiting period. Masks are required for all staff, donors and visitors.
About Vitalant
Vitalant (“Vye-TAL-ent”) is the nation’s largest independent, nonprofit blood services provider exclusively focused on providing lifesaving blood and comprehensive transfusion medicine services for about 900 hospitals and their patients across the U.S. Every day, Vitalant needs to collect about 5,300 blood, platelet and plasma donations to help save lives. For more information and to schedule a donation appointment, visit vitalant.org or call 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825). Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.