Giving blood, saving lives...it's a SURE thing!

Giving blood, saving lives...it's a SURE thing!

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Event Type

Alumni

Location

5th and Chestnut Streets

Date

Time

Contact

rfitch@indstate.edu

Phone

(812) 237-2244

Description

The ISU Summer Undergraduate Research Experiences (SURE) program will host a blood drive next Friday, June 15 from 9 am to noon. The Indiana Blood Center bloodmobile will be parked on fifth street and Chestnut near the fountain.

Blood is truly a life-saving medicine and is needed constantly, especially in summer when donations tend to go down and traumatic accidents needing blood for treatment go up. A few statistics regarding blood donation are below average. Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. Approximately 36,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day in the U.S.  

Here are the facts:

  • Nearly 7,000 units of platelets and 10,000 units of plasma are needed daily in the U.S.
  • Nearly 21 million blood components are transfused each year in the U.S.
  • The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints.
  • The blood type most often requested by hospitals is type O.

The blood used in an emergency is already on the shelves before the event occurs. It is estimated that sickle cell disease affects 90,000 to 100,000 people in the U.S. 

 
About 1,000 babies are born with the disease each year. Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1.69 million people are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2017. 
 
Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment. A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood. Giving blood is one of the easiest ways to save lives. 
 
Blood is a medicine and is essential for life. All it takes is a few minutes of your time (and we'll give you cookies and juice too!). If you are squeamish or afraid of needles, please give it a try. It is likely not as bad as you think. Find something to distract yourself and better yet, take a long a buddy for support. Give blood and save lives. It's a SURE thing!