January is National Blood Donor Month
On December 31, 1969 President Richard Nixon proclaimed January as National Blood Donor Month.
The following are some facts about blood needs and supply:
- Every 2 seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.
- More than 29,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day in the U.S.
- The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O.
- More than 1 million people are diagnosed with cancer yearly, and many of them need blood transfusions regularly.
- Blood transfusions are needed for 1 out of every 83 newborn deliveries.
- A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood.
- Over 500,000 open heart surgeries are performed yearly, and blood products are used, at times, during those surgeries.
- The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 units.
- Sickle cell disease affects 90,000 to 100,000 people in the U.S. About 1,000 babies are born with the disease each year. Sickle cell patients can require blood transfusions throughout their lives.
- Type O negative blood can be transfused to patients of all blood types.
- The Red Cross provides about 40% of our nation’s blood and blood components.
- Only 3% of the eligible population donates blood.
- There is always a blood supply shortage. There is an urgent need for younger, more diverse donors.
Blood cannot be manufactured- it can only come from generous donors.
Please consider donating!
https://www.blooddonormonth.org/
https://americasblood.org/for-donors/aboutblood/
https://www.aabb.org/for-donors-patients/national-blood-donor-month
https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/blood.html?ref=search