Did You Know...

... that every 2 seconds someone needs blood?

... that your single donation of whole blood may help save up to 3 lives?

... that a regular donation is slightly less than a pint, which is only a tenth of your total blood supply?

... that you can donate blood every 56 days?  It generally takes about an hour to go through the entire donation process and only 10 minutes of that time to actually give the pint of blood?

... that within 24 hours, your body completely replaces the fluid lost during donation and within eight weeks you will have completely rebuilt your iron and red blood cells?

...that blood cannot be manufactured?  Volunteer blood donors are our only means of keeping an adequate community blood supply.

... that platelets, the clotting in whole blood, have a storage life of only five days and are used to treat leukemia and other cancers? 

... that whole blood and red blood cells have a shelf life of 42 days following donation?  To ensure that there is always enough blood available for the community, the Mid-Atlantic Region must collect between 600-700 pints every day.

... that there are four main blood types (O, A, B, AB, either positive or negative) and that your blood type is an inherited trait?  The most needed blood type is O and the rarest blood type is AB negative.

... that the Mid-Atlantic Blood Services Region is a leading provider of blood services related to transfusion medicine and serves hospitals in central and eastern Virginia as well as Eastern North Carolina?

Blood Donation Guidelines

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 8 weeks (56 days) or a donation of double red cells in the last 16 weeks (112 days). "Healthy" means that you feel well and can perform normal activities.  If you have a chronic condition such as diabletes or high blood pressure, "healthy" means that you are being treated and the condition is under control.

For the latest information on blood donation guidelines please visit http://www.redcross.org/donate/give/ 

To check York-Poquoson Blood Drive events click here.

Become a Volunteer Blood Donor.

Give the Gift of Life. Give Blood.