There’s no shortage of ways for people to give back to their communities. Volunteering, coaching kids’ sports teams and participating in charitable fundraisers and food drives are just some of the many ways to strengthen a community. Donating blood is another way to give back and save lives.
The National Institutes of Health notes that blood and plasma donations are crucial for a wide range of reasons. In fact, recognition of the many ways blood and plasma donations are used might compel more people to make this simple and selfless act a bigger part of their efforts to give back to their communities.
Blood donations are utilized during surgery
The American Red Cross notes donated blood is often used during surgery, including heart surgeries, organ transplants and operations performed after emergencies. Red cells carry oxygen throughout the body, and the Red Cross notes these are frequently given to trauma and surgery patients.
Blood donations help cancer patients
The Red Cross notes that platelets are tiny cells in the blood that help to form clots and stop bleeding. Certain types of cancer and cancer treatments prevent patients from forming their own platelets, making platelet donation vital for such individuals’ survival. Platelet donation differs from more routine blood donation, and the Red Cross estimates the process typically takes roughly three hours from start to finish. However, some platelet donations yield enough platelets for two to three patients, making this well worth the investment of time.
Blood donations help people with sickle cell disease
The Red Cross notes that patients with sickle cell disease may require multiple blood transfusions every year, and the blood used during such procedures needs to be very closely matched to the recipient’s blood type to avoid complications. Sickle cell disproportionately affects people who are Black or African American, and the most compatible matches tend to be people of the same ethnicity, making blood donated by members of the Black community particularly useful and necessary to help individuals with sickle cell disease.
Plasma donations are pivotal for burn victims
Burn victims typically lose considerable amounts of blood, and the plasma donation experts at Plasmasource.org note that severe burns commonly cause fluid to leak from blood vessels into other tissues. When diminished fluid volume within blood vessels is not addressed, a host of negative outcomes, including shock and potential organ failure, can occur. Such patients typically require plasma donations to replenish fluid volume and avoid further complications from severe burns.
