Metro East Sun

St. Elizabeth's Hospital issued the following announcement on April 9.

HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, in conjunction with Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center (MVRBC), is hosting a blood drive Tuesday, April 23, from 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. The drive will take place on the MVRBC Mobile Donor Bus, which will be parked in the hospital’s parking lot at 1 St. Elizabeth’s Blvd., O’Fallon, Illinois.

 All presenting donors will receive a voucher for a tie-dye “Changing the world one pint at a time” T-shirt or a black/charcoal MVRBC logo hat.

 To schedule a donation time call MVRBC at 866-GIVE-BLD (866-448-3253) or log on to www.bloodcenterimpact.org and use Sponsor Code: 10155. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are suggested. A photo ID is required to participate, and it is encouraged that all donors get a good night’s sleep, eat a sustaining meal and hydrate well before donating.

 According to MVRBC, “To meet patient needs for blood and blood components, the Blood Center requires more than 2,000 donations from volunteer blood donors every week. Each year, those donations are used to help more than 200,000 patients in their recovery from illness or injury.”

 The most common patients who require blood and blood products include:

•         patients with cancer
•         patients with heart and blood vessel disease
•         patients with disease of the gastrointestinal tract and
•         patients who have experienced an emergency, such as a car accident or burn.

To help these patients, a blood donor can give every eight weeks, or up to six times a year. All persons age 17 and up (or 16 with a signed parental permission form) who weigh at least 110 lbs. and are in general good health meet the basic eligibility requirements for blood donation. A full list of donor eligibility guidelines may be found at http://www.bloodcenter.org/donate-blood/donating-blood/donor-eligibility.aspx.

Original source can be found here.