Red Cross Urges Blood and Platelet Donations Across Western North Carolina in Oct. 7 Appeal; $15 E-Gift Card Through Oct. 18
CHARLOTTE, Oct. 7 — The American Red Cross is encouraging residents across western North Carolina to donate blood and platelets this October, according to an announcement the organization issued in Charlotte on Oct. 7. Hospitals continue to depend on a reliable supply of blood products for patients requiring lifesaving transfusions, and while October typically falls between the peak summer and winter severe-weather seasons, changing weather can still disrupt collection and transportation.
The Red Cross is seeking donors of all blood types to support patients receiving emergency treatment, undergoing surgery or managing conditions that require transfusions. To encourage participation, individuals who come to donate blood or platelets between Sept. 21 and Oct. 18 will receive a $15 electronic gift card to a merchant of their choice; details are at RedCrossBlood.org/Fall.
Appointments can be made at RedCrossBlood.org, by calling 1-800-RED CROSS, or through the Red Cross Blood Donor App. Drive locations and eligibility rules — age, weight and donation intervals — are published on the organization's official site; this item is published from its official announcement.
Eligibility and process, per the Red Cross's public rules: donors must be at least 17 (16 in some states with parental consent), meet weight requirements and pass an on-site health screening; whole-blood donations are typically spaced 56 days apart, with shorter intervals for platelets. First-time donors should allow about an hour, eat normally beforehand and stay hydrated; the on-site assessment governs in each case.
Source: American Red Cross announcement, Oct. 7, carried by The Cleveland American.
Photo: 120125-G-MF861-030-Blood drive — US Coast Guard Academy / Public Domain (via Openverse)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 120125-G-MF861-030-Blood drive — US Coast Guard Academy / Public Domain (via Openverse)
