January is Blood Donor Month

January is Blood Donor Month. Donating blood is one of the best things you can do. According to the World Health Organization, “blood is the most precious gift that anyone can give to another person — the gift of life. A decision to donate your blood can save a life, or even several if your blood is separated into its components — red cells, platelets and plasma.” President Richard Nixon proclaimed January as National Blood Donor Month for the first time on December 31, 1969, as requested by Senate Joint Resolution 154.

The American Red Cross states that winter is “one of the most difficult times of year to collect enough blood products to meet patient needs.” That’s because of, among other things, busy holiday schedules and bad weather often resulting in canceled blood drives. Furthermore, seasonal illnesses such as the flu force potential donors to forgo their blood donations. This year especially with social distancing, blood banks are low. The Red Cross needs to collect more than 13,000 donations every day to keep the blood supply ready and available to meet the needs of about 2,600 hospitals, clinics and cancer centers across the country. Blood is needed more than ever, and Private Home Health Care encourages those who are able to contribute to the greater good and donate blood.

That’s just one of the reasons that National Blood Donor Month, which has taken place each January since 1970, is such an important observance. Donating blood saves many lives and improves health for many people. In fact, every time we donate blood, there is the potential to save 3 lives. Those who have particularly rare blood types, like AB negative, B negative, AB positive, and O are most in demand. What is also great about donating blood is that it takes only a short time to do, and you can do it every 8 weeks. You can keep on giving at no cost with minimal time commitment. It is also considered healthy to donate blood because it causes your body to create new blood for the amount it lost, which refreshes your system. To that end, the American Journal of Epidemiology reports that blood donors are 88 percent less likely to have a heart attack. Another good thing about donating blood is that when you do, your blood is tested for any diseases and analyzed. That means that you could potentially catch any warning signs or irregularities that you otherwise would not have been aware of.

Multiply your blood donation efforts by hosting a blood drive! By hosting a blood drive, you can exponentially increase your impact. Encourage just 10 people to give, and you can help save up to 30 lives. Get your neighborhood, office, or club involved and you can celebrate National Blood Donor Month together! It’s a great way to spend more time with people you care about while also giving back to your community.

If you are unable to donate blood, you can still contribute to the cause! Share blood donation online with American Red Cross or OneBlood’s social media posts with your friends and family.

Eligible blood and platelet donors are urged to schedule a donation today by using the Red Cross Blood Donor app, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767). Help even more people by inviting your sister, daughter or other family members, friends and colleagues to donate too.

Although there is no upper age limit, there is a minimum age requirement. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood.