Blood is the most precious gift that anyone can give to another person — the gift of life. A decision to donate your blood can save a life!
January marks National Blood Donor Month, and the need for blood donations continues. The month serves as a time to honor those that donate for saving lives and to also encourage others to donate blood and platelets. Phelps Memorial Health Center holds regular blood drives for their teammates averaging 29 blood units per drive. In the past five years, Phelps Memorial Health Center has had over 50 first-time donors who are teammates at Phelps Memorial.
Wondering how you can donate? To find the closest blood drive or donation center near you, go to: www.RedCrossBlood.org.
The next drives open to the public in the Holdrege area include:
Jan. 20th YMCA of the Prairie and the Holdrege High School
April 1 – Holdrege Eagles
April 7 – Ag Center
Important COVID-19 information for donors
The Red Cross is testing blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies. The test may indicate if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to this coronavirus, regardless of whether an individual developed COVID-19 symptoms. Red Cross antibody tests will be helpful to identify individuals who have COVID-19 antibodies and may now help current coronavirus patients in need of convalescent plasma transfusions. Convalescent plasma is a type of blood donation collected from COVID-19 survivors that have antibodies that may help patients who are actively fighting the virus.
Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and additional precautions - including temperature checks, social distancing and face coverings for donors and staff – have been implemented to help protect the health of all those in attendance. Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at the drive and are required to wear a face covering or mask while at the drive, in alignment with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public guidance.
