Donate Platelets

Many of us have watched a loved one or acquaintance go through a desperate battle with cancer. Some of us personally know folks who have been blessed to receive an organ donation or have received a life-giving bone marrow transplant. Most of us have stood by and wondered what we could do to help. There is something you can do!

GIVE SOMEONE A SECOND CHANCE … DONATE PLATELETS

Who needs me?
Lifesaving treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy can ravage a cancer patient's ability to produce enough platelets on their own. Platelets are specialized cells that control bleeding by helping blood to clot. Without enough platelets, cancer patients face serious complications that can result in death.

Bone marrow transplant recipients, as well as patients who have received an organ donation, also are in desperate need of platelets, as their own are irradiated as part of the transplant process.

What Can I Do?
By becoming a platelet donor, you can help children and adults who suffer from cancer, sickle cell disease and other blood disorders, as well as help prevent complications for transplant patients.

How Do I Donate Platelets?
Platelets are donated through a process called "apheresis," which is a Greek word that means "to separate." During the apheresis process, blood is drawn from one arm of the donor and enters sterile tubing that passes through a computerized cell centrifuge that "spins out" the platelets. The donor's blood -- minus the platelets -- is returned into the donor's other arm. The entire process takes about two and one-half hours.

Is Apheresis Safe for the Donor?
Yes. State-of-the-art equipment ensures a safe comfortable donation. Red Cross trained staff closely monitor each donor throughout the procedure and the body replenishes platelets, which are not significantly depleted, within 24 hours. Because the donor's blood never touches the machine and sterile tubing is discarded and replaced following each donation, it is impossible to contract bloodborne diseases, including AIDS, through apheresis.

What's In It For Me?
Some donors luxuriate in the "found" quiet time and take the opportunity to catch up on their reading. Others welcome the feature-length movies they enjoy with a personal monitor and headphones. Every donor receives a free mini-physical each time they donate and all enjoy the camaraderie of being part of an elite group. Of course, free snacks and drinks are always a draw! On a more serious note, donors enjoy the personal satisfaction of knowing they are contributing to someone else's life in a profound way -- by giving them a second chance.

What Does It Take To Be A Donor?
Willingness is the key requirement. Donors must be in good health, weigh at least 110 pounds and 17 years old. All blood types are welcomed and needed, as donors and recipients are matched by blood type. Some patients must also be matched to their donors by tissue type (Human Leukocyte Antigen), which is accomplished with the first apheresis donation. Donors who are CMV-negative are especially sought (CMV stands for the virus that causes common cold sores, chicken-pox and mononucleosis) as some patients cannot receive CMV-positive platelets, while others can.

Won't you Give Someone A Second Chance?
Call (614) 251-1452 or 1-800-GIVE LIFE if you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment to donate.