Sign up to donate blood Oct. 23 or 24
Spots still are available for you to sign up and donate blood at the Red Cross Blood Drive at St. Thomas. The drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 23 and 24, in Room 304, Murray-Herrick Campus Center.
Make your appointment today. Log on to the Give Life Web page and enter the St. Thomas ZIP code, 55105 (if needed, the sponsor code is 3518).
To give blood for transfusion to another person, you must be healthy, be at least 17 years old or 16 years old if allowed by state law, weigh at least 110 pounds, and not have donated blood in the last eight weeks (56 days). "Healthy" means that you feel well and can perform normal activities. If you have a chronic condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure, "healthy" also means that you are being treated and the condition is under control.
If you're not sure whether you'll be able to give or not (i.e., travel outside the country), call 1 (800) GIVE LIFE or check the eligibility requirements to get answers to specific eligibility questions you may have. Eligibility requirements also may vary for some states and blood centers. Final eligibility is determined by medical professionals at the time of donation.
Before donating:
- Get a good night's sleep.
- Have a good breakfast or lunch.
- Drink extra water and fluids to replace the volume you will donate (avoid tea, coffee or other beverages with caffeine).
- Eat iron-rich foods – red meat, fish, poultry or liver, beans, iron-fortified cereals, raisins and prunes.
- Avoid fatty foods, such as hamburgers, fries, or ice cream before donating. Tests for infections done on all donated blood can be affected by fatty materials – lipids – that appear in your blood for several hours after eating fatty foods. When this occurs and required testing cannot be performed, the blood may have to be discarded.
Questions can be directed to the Wellness Center.
