Donate Blood. Save a life.
Today, January 10th, Life+Gear hosted our very first blood drive at our Del Mar office! People from all around came by the big bus to sign up and donate blood with San Diego Blood Bank.
Facts About Blood Needs
-Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.
-More than 44,000 blood donations are needed every day.
-The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints.
-The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O.
-The blood used in an emergency is already on the shelves before the event occurs.
-A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood.
Source: American Red Cross
The Decision to Donate
Well, I will be the first to admit, I was nervous. Something about the idea of a needle in my arm for 20 minutes did not sit well with me. And that was the general consensus around the office. But, we did it! And you know what? Those 20 minutes saved someone’s life. That’s a pretty neat thing to be able to say as you go to bed tonight.
The Process
This part was pretty simple. They ask you a series of questions to make sure you qualify, take your blood pressure and prick your finger to measure the level of red and white blood cells in your body. If you pass the tests, you get to sit in some cool lounge chairs and give blood. Once you are in the chair, they clean your arm, put the needle in and ask you to squeeze the ball in your hand every 3-5 seconds. The needle did not even hurt that much. Just a little poke.
After
Once you finish giving blood they help clean you up and you can choose your wrap color to sport for the next 4 hours. Then they offer you a snack as you sit and recover for 15 minutes. All in all it was an extremely rewarding experience. Not only did we save lives today, but we also encouraged those around us in the community to do the same!
Thanks to all of those who came out today!