The fourth blood drive honoring Lily LaMartina, and Remembering Chris Leahy is to be held on Jan. 25. Lily and Chris were both diagnosed with leukemia in July 2016. Chris passed in May 2018 and Lily is currently in remission.
The organizers’ hope is to have 100 (+) pints donated to help the American Red Cross meet the constant demand of those in need of blood — the city of Brentwood is turning 100 years old in 2019. This information comes from Andy Leahy, father of Chris Leahy.
Whole Blood Donation
Whole blood is the most flexible type of donation. It can be transfused in its original form, or used to help multiple people when separated into its specific components of red cells, plasma and platelets. “Whole blood” is simply the blood that flows through your veins. It contains red cells, white cells, and platelets, suspended in plasma.
Why Should I Do It?
Whole blood is the most flexible type of donation. It can be transfused in its original form, or used to help multiple people when separated into its specific components of red cells, plasma and platelets. Every day, whole blood donations help save the lives of children and adults fighting to survive cancer, blood disorders, traumatic injuries and more.
The actual donation can be very quick, but you should plan on being with us for about an hour. You can donate whole blood as often as every 56 days.
Who Can Donate?
In most states, you must be 17 or older to donate whole blood. In states where 16 year olds are eligible to donate, we require a signed parental consent form.
You must weigh at least 110 lbs.* and be in good health — that means you feel well and can perform normal activities. If you have a chronic condition such as diabetes and you want to donate blood, it’s important that you are being treated and the condition is under control. If you’re not feeling well on the day of your donation, please contact us to reschedule.
Additional eligibility criteria apply, including certain medications, medical conditions, travel to certain countries, and personal history. You can browse the most common reasons people may not be able to give blood, or view our complete eligibility requirements.
Who it helps: Whole blood is frequently given to trauma patients and people undergoing surgery.
Time it takes: About 1 hour
Ideal blood types: All blood types
Power Red Donation
During a Power Red donation, you give a concentrated dose of red cells, the part of your blood used every day for those needing transfusions as part of their care. This type of donation uses an automated process that separates your red blood cells from the other blood components, and then safely and comfortably returns your plasma and platelets to you.
- With just a little extra time at your appointment, you can donate more red cells and increase your impact on patients in need. Why should you do it? You may already know about the ongoing need for blood and the importance of your blood donations. Whole blood donations contain red blood cells, platelets, plasma and white blood cells. Red blood cells are the most frequently used blood component and are needed by almost every type of patient requiring transfusion. If you meet certain criteria, Power Red allows you to safely donate two units of red cells during one appointment as an automated donation process. It is as safe as whole blood donation.
- How is it different? During your Power Red, blood is drawn from one arm through an automated process. The machine separates and collects two units of red cells and then safely returns the remaining blood components, along with some saline, back to you through the same arm.
- Save time and make your blood donation go further: If you are extremely busy, committed to donating blood and an eligible type O, A negative or B negative donor, Power Red may be ideal for you. Each procedure lets you give more of the product that is needed most by patients. Power Red (double red cell donation) takes approximately 30 minutes longer than a whole blood donation and you can donate approximately every four months.
- Feel better: With all of your platelets and plasma returned to you along with some saline, you don’t lose the liquid portion of your blood and may feel more hydrated after your donation.
Am I Eligible to Donate?
In addition to meeting other whole blood donor qualifications, you must also meet specific criteria for donating Power Red, especially for hemoglobin, weight and height. The thresholds for each vary by gender.
- Power Red is for type O, A negative or B negative donors
- Donation Frequency: Every 112 days, up to 3 times/year*; 2 times/year for male donors under age 18
- You must be in good health and feeling well**
- Male donors+ must be at least 17 years old in most states, at least 5’1″ tall and weigh at least 130 lbs.
- Female donors+ must be at least 19 years old, at least 5’5″ tall and weigh at least 150 lbs.
Who it helps: Red cells from a Power Red donation are typically given to trauma patients, newborns and emergency transfusions during birth, people with sickle cell anemia, and anyone suffering blood loss.
Time it takes: About 1.5 hours
Ideal blood types: O positive, O negative, A negative, and B negative
Platelet Donation
Platelets are tiny cells in your blood that form clots and stop bleeding. Platelets are most often used by cancer patients and others facing life-threatening illnesses and injuries.
In a platelet donation, an apheresis machine collects your platelets along with some plasma, returning your red cells and most of the plasma back to you. A single donation of platelets can yield several transfusable units, whereas it takes about five whole blood donations to make up a single transfusable unit of platelets.
Platelets are collected at Red Cross donation centers only, and are not collected at blood drives.
Why are platelets so important?
Platelets are tiny cells in your blood that form clots and stop bleeding. For millions of Americans, they are essential to surviving and fighting cancer, chronic diseases, and traumatic injuries. Every 30 seconds someone needs platelets. Platelets must be used within five days and new donors are needed every day. That’s why we need you..
Who it helps: Platelets are a vital element of cancer treatments and organ transplant procedures, as well as other surgical procedures.
Time it takes: About 2.5-3 hours
Ideal blood types: A positive, A negative, B positive, O positive, AB positive and AB negative
“I’ll never forget the feeling of gratitude that washed over me when I saw those platelets going into my husband’s body. I imagined the faces of many different strangers, taking time out of their day… their jobs… their families… their lives… to sit in a chair and give part of themselves away, simply because it is a good thing to do for another human being. A stranger. Someone’s platelets made their way to Phil that day, and it helped him recover.”
Cassie Brabbs describing how it felt to see platelets help save her husband Phil
During Chris’s battle it was platelets and blood donations that help him fight so hard and gave us hope.
Please go online and make an appointment now to join our donation and begin our celebration as “A City of Warmth.”
YOU are needed!!!
Thank you for taking the extra time to consider our request and hopefully help spread the word for the Drive.
Andrew G. Leahy
Chris’s Father
2833 Manderly Drive
314-218-6356 direct
[email protected]