The Two Second Vampire

Every two seconds someone in America needs blood, but only one in three Americans donates. That's a discrepancy that gets even wider in the winter, when blood is typically in short supply due to illness, holiday travel land and winter weather conditions.

Since 1970, FEMA has recognized  January as National Blood Donor Month - a time to remind Americans that even when blood donations are down, the need for blood isn't: our society needs nearly 40,000 units of red blood every single day, and most blood centers are unable to maintain more than a three-day supply of blood for transfusions.

"Donating blood is a safe, life-saving and selfless gift that enhances the level of preparedness for each and every community in this nation."  ~Ken Murphy, FEMA

 

Fang You, Baby Boomers!

According to FEMA, baby boomers are the biggest donors, and that's bad news in the long run: as boomers age, they often become less able to donate due to health issues and medications.  As baby boomers age, we lose them not only as top donors, we gain them as top users. 

The largest demographic cohort ever to move through the population will have more surgeries and health problems that will require more and more donated blood to maintain their own health.  Just as blood supplies become increasingly important, they become more quickly depleted, as boomers use more and more of the blood supply they once supported themselves.

Visit Boomer's Abroad

Interesting facts about donating blood:

• Only 5%  of eligible donors in the US donate
• The number of blood transfusions performed in the US increases by 9% every year
• One unit of whole blood is divided into three parts: red blood cells, platelets, and plasma.
• Each whole blood donation can help as many as three people
• On average, a hip replacement typically uses one unit of blood, a cardiac bypass 2 units, a heart transplant 2 units, and a liver transplant 10 units
• 25 % or more of us will require blood at least once in our lifetime