Donate Blood – Save Lives ~ #BeImpulsive

Have you thought about blood donation? Today I want to share with you, why you should consider donating blood, in partnership with Bonfils Blood Center.

I have always advocated for blood donations. As a former military member, an army medic to be exact, one of the things that we did consistently in the army was donating blood. When you’re deployed anything can happen. Knowing that there was a constant supply of blood made us feel a bit more comfortable, but not too comfortable. Blood donation is something that we were all required to do, unless of course you were exempt and something that I did willingly. Even now that I am out of the army, it’s still something that I do, and I want to share with you my reasons why.


Here are three very simple reasons why you should, and why I donate blood.

1. You can save a life, or three. 

Know that the life that you save can very well be a family, friend or even your own. You never know if an accident may happen and you will need a blood transfusion.

2. It’s very simple and takes less than an hour. 

The process from start to finish is very easy, and the blood donation itself takes about 10-15 minutes.

3. It’s the right thing to do.

What other reason do you need?

Did you know that every 2 seconds someone in the U.S. needs a transfusion of donated blood? That’s a very high statistic isn’t it? One in 7 people entering a U.S hospital needs a blood transfusion and one whole blood donation has the potential of helping up to three patients. Yes you read that correctly, 3!!

You can donate blood every 2 months, so generally six times a year and it was time for me to donate. Before you donate, be sure that you are hydrated and have eaten. I went to my local Bonfils Blood Center where it is all voluntary. There are no incentives to donate blood and the process is very simple.

  1. Fill out the registration form. Be sure to have an ID on hand.
  1. You will be screened with vitals taken (blood pressure, temperature, and pulse) and a blood count. Then you will fill out a questionnaire asking about your health and travels, and also what medications you may be taking, if any.
  1. Once that is over and you’ve passed the screening process, you will then be able to donate.

While I donated whole blood, platelets are especially needed. They only have a shelf life of 5 days and are used to help treat cancer and other patients.

In addition to donating blood you can also donate plasma, which has the same lifesaving effect and is in even greater need. Plasma contains important proteins and nutrients which help treat severe burns, traumas, blood clotting disorders, organ transplants and premature infants.

Most people tend to think that accident victims are the ones who use the most blood, but that’s a very common misunderstanding. Actually, people who receive the most blood include those who are:

  • being treated for cancer
  • undergoing orthopedic surgeries
  • undergoing organ and marrow transplants
  • undergoing cardiovascular surgeries
  • being treated for inherited blood disorders

Major disasters don’t usually require large amounts of blood. In most cases, hospitals rely on the blood that is already on their shelves to save lives. You can help blood centers be at the ready by making sure blood is available before it’s needed.

How can YOU get involved? Find out at BeImpulsiveRSVP.com. #BeImpulsive.

error: I have disabled right-click on this page. Sorry!