January has been National Blood Donor Month since 1970. Historically, there is a dip in, not only the temperature outside but also in the number of blood donations in the month of January. It may be attributed to business of the recent holidays, the change in weather or increase in number of people who are experiences symptoms of cold and flu but whatever the contributing cause, there is undeniably need for blood donation in January. There is usually a 10-20% decrease in donation during the winter months. If volunteering is on your list of New Year’s resolutions-giving the gift of life should be at the top of that list!
Donating is easy, we have a local blood donation center in Moses Lake. People can donate every 8-16 weeks, depending on the type of donation they are making. In Washington you must be 17 years of age OR 16 years of age with signed parental consent. You must weigh at least 110 pounds and not experiencing any symptoms of illness, such as fever. The whole process, from registration to snack time is only about an hour and it makes such a meaningful difference to so many people. Each donation made can help 3 people!
Prior to donating, make sure to get plenty of sleep the night before, eat a balanced diet and stay hydrated. You will be asked to provide two forms of ID, you will have some information to read and a short questionnaire to answer. You will also have your blood pressure and pulse taken, along with a quick check of your iron level. After that you are off to the races for your blood donation. The actual blood donation part only takes about 10 minutes. Then when you are done there you get to enjoy some refreshments!
If you are still on the fence about donations consider this:
- Every 2 seconds someone in the United States needs blood.
- 1:7 people entering the hospital will use blood.
- Blood can NOT be artificially made. The only way to have enough blood to save lives is through donation
- Every pint of blood can be split into platelets, plasma and red blood cells, which can save 3 lives.
- Also- there are the COOKIES!
How to Donate:
The Inland Northwest Blood Center has an office in Moses Lake located at:
660 S Coolidge St, Moses Lake, Wa. 98837 in the lower level of Samaritan Hospital
Mon, Tues and Sat from 10:00-5:00 pm
You can make an appointment by calling 1-800-423-0151 for a same day appointment.
OR
Enter your zip code to search for upcoming Red Cross clinics in your area: www.redcrossblood.org