Blood donors are the secret superheroes in the Mid-South. This year, Lifeblood’s new pledge campaign asks volunteers to “Find the Hero in You” by making a pledge to donate blood.
Donors who pledge will receive special communications, recognition and opportunities to share news of their good deeds through special images, stickers and t-shirts.
Whole blood can be donated every 56 days and platelets every seven days. Those who pledge will receive reminders and helpful information during the year to keep them on track to reach their goal.
Giving blood takes less than an hour and each donation can help up to three patients. Donors must weigh at least 115 pounds, be at least 17 years old (16 with a parent’s signed consent) and generally healthy.
Last year 27,839 local individuals donated approximately 42,000 units of red cells, platelets and plasma for patient transfusion. More than 63 percent of Lifeblood donors gave only one time.
If every blood donor gave just three times during the year, Lifeblood could maintain a stable blood supply for patients and reduce the need to import blood from other communities.
Learn more about the pledge commitment online. Log in to your existing Lifeblood profile or create a profile to make the pledge.
Public blood drives
In other news, Lifeblood’s remaining public blood drives in February include:
- Feb. 27: Tipton Center Mobiles, 628 U.S. 51 North, Ripley. Hours: 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Feb. 28: Highland Church of Christ, 400 N. Houston Levee Rd., Cordova. Hours: 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Feb. 28: Church of the Holy Spirit, 2300 Hickory Crest Drive, Memphis. Hours: 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Feb.28: St. Therese Little Flower Catholic Church, 1644 Jackson Ave., Memphis. Hours: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Feb. 28: St. Paul United Methodist Church, 2949 Davies Road, Lakeland. Hours: 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Feb. 29: Insight Risk Management LLC, 7200 Goodlett Farms Parkway, Cordova. Hours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Feb. 29: AOC, 955 Tennessee, 955 Tennessee Highway 57, Piperton. Hours: 1-4 p.m.
Lifeblood is the Memphis region’s only non-profit volunteer blood center, and it supplies more than 100,000 units for local patient transfusions each year. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit lifeblood.org or call 1-888-LIFEBLOOD.
