WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI (OnFocus) – One in seven patients entering a hospital requires blood to be available, according to the Community Blood Center (CBC). Blood cannot be synthetically made, making donations from volunteers the only way to provide blood to those in need. And the demand is great: someone in America needs a blood transfusion every two seconds, according to the CBC.
January is National Blood Donor Month, an opportunity to recognize the volunteers in our communities who regularly roll up their sleeves and help save lives. It’s also a time to spread awareness about the critical and ongoing need for donated blood.
“Blood is essential for lifesaving medical care for patients with traumatic injuries or chronic illnesses, as well as those in need of surgeries or cancer treatments,” says Michael Hawks, director of laboratory services for Aspirus Riverview Hospital & Clinics. “The reality is that all of us are likely to know someone who will need blood at some point.”
Despite this, the American Red Cross reports that only three percent of all Americans donate blood, though 37 percent of the population is eligible.
“Donating is easy, safe, and only takes about an hour of your time,” says Hawks. Since it can be done every 56 days, he urges eligible donors to consider this an opportunity to make donating blood a routine way of giving back.
In Wisconsin Rapids, the Blood Center of Northcentral Wisconsin holds two blood drives every month at the former East Junior High School on Lincoln Street. You can find a calendar of these and other blood drives hosted by the Blood Center of Northcentral Wisconsin at https://www.bcnwi.org/. You may also call the Blood Center of Northcentral Wisconsin at 715-842-0761.
Without the generosity of the community members who give so selflessly, patients would not have the blood they require for emergency needs or ongoing treatments. Together, we can help save lives and support more people across our communities.
For more information about giving blood, visit https://givingblood.org/ or https://www.redcrossblood.org/.
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Author: News Desk
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