Blood Donation

How can we be of service to humanity for the common good?  One easy way is to donate life giving blood.  Even with scientific advancements, blood can not yet be manufactured, it can only be donated.  With over 5 million people in the US needing blood every year, it takes an army of dedicated individuals to meet that need.  Join Harrybill Huffman in your own quest of service by donating blood.

 

Blood Components (content below copied from American Red Cross)

How can one donation help multiple people?

In modern medical treatments, patients may receive a pint of whole blood or just specific components of the blood needed to treat their particular condition. Up to four components can be derived from donated blood. This approach to treatment, referred to as blood component therapy, allows several patients to benefit from one pint of donated whole blood. The main transfusable blood components include:

Whole Blood

Whole blood contains red cells, white cells, and platelets (~45% of volume) suspended in plasma (~55% of volume).

Red Cells

Red cells, or erythrocytes, carry oxygen from the lungs to your body’s tissue and take carbon dioxide back to your lungs to be exhaled.

Platelets

Platelets, or thrombocytes, are small, colorless cell fragments in the blood whose main function is to interact with clotting proteins to stop or prevent bleeding.

Plasma

Plasma is a fluid, composed of about 92% water, 7% vital proteins such as albumin, gamma globulin, anti-hemophilic factor, and other clotting factors, and 1% mineral salts, sugars, fats, hormones and vitamins.

Cryoprecipitated AHF

Cryoprecipitated Antihemophilic Factor (Cryo) is a portion of plasma rich in clotting factors, including Factor VIII and fibrinogen. It is prepared by freezing and then slowly thawing the frozen plasma

 

For more information, see our Blood Donation Resources or The American Red Cross.