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Cancer. Leukemia. Aplastic anemia. These diseases strike
close to home for many of us. You can help children and adults who
suffer from these and other illnesses by donating platelets.
There is a special group of blood donors who regularly donate
platelets through a process called Apheresis. Today, there are
great strides being taken in the treatment of these diseases because
of Apheresis donations.
In patients who have diseases such as cancer or leukemia, the bone
marrow is unable to produce enough platelets, placing the patient in
serious danger of developing infection or hemorrhaging. Platelets
control bleeding by helping the blood clot. Chemotherapy treatments
also affect normal cell production in the bone marrow.
PLATELETS: A GIFT OF TIME
Platelet donations take about two hours. Blood is drawn from
your arm, by a specially trained Red Cross nurse, and sent through
clean sterile tubing housed in a separating machine. The machine
spins the blood to separate platelets from other components such as
red blood cells and plasma. The platelets are collected and the
remaining components are returned to the donor.
State-of-the-art equipment allows the Red Cross to perform split
products - two platelet donations from one donor. This efficient
procedure enables the Red Cross to collect twice the product in the
same amount of time.
With new technology, the Red Cross is also able to draw plasma
while collecting platelets from a donor in the same amount of time.
The concurrent plasma is needed for burn patients.
Anyone 17 years of age or older and in good health is eligible to
donate platelets. Donors must meet medical requirements and answer
health-related questions. The health screening process is the same
as with whole blood donors. Whenever patients need specific blood
components, apheresis donors are contacted for an appointment.
Your body replaces the donated platelets very quickly, within 24
hours, so you can donate platelets more frequently than whole
blood. You must wait 2 days between platelet donations, but the
frequency of donations is your decision. You can continue to donate
whole blood even though you are a platelet donor.
APHERESIS HOURS:
Come by our donor center at 5015 Woods Crossing any of the times
listed below to give the special gift of life.
|
MON |
TUE |
WED |
THUR |
FRI |
SAT |
1st & 3rd
SUNDAY |
| 10am-6pm |
10am-6pm |
CLOSED |
10am-6pm |
7am-2pm |
CLOSED |
7:30am-3:30pm |
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