DYK that every 2 seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood? The good news is that every time you donate blood, you save up to 3 local lives .
And The Blood Connection is making that donation process even easier by opening their Charleston donation center , where they’ll host an official grand opening for the public on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 4 p.m.
At a center (like the new CHS one), you can give four types of donations (vs. just being able to give whole blood at a mobile blood drive).
Here are those four donation types, and which kinds of lives they save:
💉 Plasma
What: Liquid portion of blood that transports water + nutrients to the body’s tissues
Who it helps: Burn victims + those with bleeding disorders
Shelf life: 1 year
When + where you can donate: Every 28 days, only at centers
💉 Platelets
What: Small cell fragments in blood that help stop/prevent bleeding
Who it helps: Surgery, transplant + cancer patients
Shelf life: 5 days
When + where you can donate: Every 7 days, only at centers
💉 Red blood cells
What: When only red cells are collected, not other blood components
Who it helps: Trauma, surgery, anemia, blood loss + blood disorder patients
Shelf life: 42 days
When + where you can donate: Every 112 days, in centers + select mobile drives
💉 Whole blood
What: A pint of blood containing red + white cells, platelets and plasma (quickest + most common donation type)
Who it helps: Trauma + surgery patients
Shelf life: 21-35 days
When + where you can donate: Every 56 days, in centers + mobile drives
See hours, info + the online scheduling tool for TBC’s new North Charleston center here
. Bonus: Here’s everything we just explained in under 2 minutes.
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