Date; April 29
Time: 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: Estes Park Medical CenterLongs Peak and Meeker Conference Rooms
It isn't every day you can do something to save someone's life - but that's exactly what you do every time you donate blood. Blood is a priceless gift - a lifesaver. Even the best trained medical personnel, using the most advanced equipment, can become helpless in the event a patient needs blood. The gift of blood can only come from another human being ...there are no substitutes.
Blood is indeed something special. It can't be manufactured and it can't be replaced by animal blood. Yet statistics show that less than five percent of all possible donors in the United States actually roll their sleeves up and give each year, while at the same time over 80 percent of us may need a blood product in our lifetime.
This year over 5 million Americans will need a "transfusion" to survive illness or injury. Blood is needed for emergencies and for people who have cancer, blood disorders, sickle cell and other illnesses. Some people need regular blood transfusions to live. Next year even more will need it as demand continues to grow. If you are healthy, your body, which has between 10 and 12 pints of blood, can easily spare a pint, the amount that collected at a donation. Because the body begins replacing donated blood immediately, most people can give blood every eight weeks.
The next blood drive will be held on Monday, April 29, from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Longs Peak and Meeker Conference Rooms at Estes Park Medical Center. The general guidelines for donating blood are as follows:
• Individuals must be healthy and be at least 17 years old
• Weight must be at least 110 pounds
• Individuals must not have donated blood in the last 8 weeks (56 days) or a donation of double red cells in the last 16 weeks (111 days)
Healthy means that you feel well and can perform normal activities
If you have a chronic condition, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, "healthy" also means that you are being treated and the condition is under control.
Other aspects of each potential donor's health history are discussed as part of the donation process before any blood is collected. Each donor receives a brief examination during which temperature, pulse, blood pressure and blood count (hemoglobin or hematocrit) are measured.
Humans can't live without blood. Without blood, the body's organs couldn't get the oxygen and nutrients they need to survive; we couldn't keep warm or cool off, fight infections, or get rid of our own waste products. Blood donation sites throughout the United States ensure that the safest possible blood is readily available whenever and wherever needed; for the military, blood centers across the United States and for all 5,000 of America's hospitals.
What kind of difference can your donation make? For nearly 5 million people who receive blood transfusions every year, your donation can make the difference between life and death. If you are like most people, you have a gift that you can keep on giving. Since you can spare it, why not share it? And, encourage your family and friends. After all, you never know when you are someone you love could use it. For more information, or if you would like to volunteer to assist with the blood drive, call 577-4390.