Mary Taylor, Blood Donor Program Chairman, said that the 2009 goal for Trigg County is 500 pints of blood. This means that here must be at least 112 successful donors at each community blood drive to have any chance of meeting the goal. She is urging anyone 17 or older who weighs at least 110 pounds to take an hour of their time to give blood.
Volunteer blood donors will be required to provide identification prior to donating blood. The preferred identifier for donors is a current drivers license or a Red Cross blood donor card issued to the donor. Without identification, a prospective donor will not be permitted to donate.
Normally it takes about an hour to give blood, but your donation can add years to the life of someone in need. The process includes registration and completion of a medical questionnaire, confidential mini-physical with a Red Cross health historian, blood donation (no longer than 10 minutes), and canteen, where refreshments are available to replenish lost fluid.
All blood types are important, but there is greater need for Type O blood. Type O is used in trauma cases where there is no time to cross-match blood types and it is the most common type transfused to newborns.
Everyone who presents to donate at a Red Cross blood drive will receive an American Red Cross baseball cap. As usual there will be sandwiches, cookies, and soft drinks available. There will be a drawing for a $50.00 Savings Bond donated by the Bank of Cadiz.
