Need continues in Southwest Georgia for blood donations

ALBANY — Eligible blood donors of all blood types in Southwest Georgia are encouraged to give blood this spring to help ensure a sufficient supply for hospital patients.

This comes at a time that the American Red Cross is reporting a critical alert for O negative blood and that a critical need still remains for platelets.

Donated blood is perishable and must constantly be replenished to keep up with hospital patient need. Red blood cells are the blood component most frequently transfused by hospitals and must be used within 42 days of donation, officials at the Red Cross said.

The Red Cross said eligible donors can give red blood cells through either a regular whole-blood donation or a Power Red donation through which donors give a concentrated dose of red blood cells during a single donation and maximize their impact. During this type of donation, red blood cells are separated from other blood components, and the plasma and platelets are returned to the donor.

Opportunities in the Albany area to give blood include:

— Thursday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Porterfield Memorial United Methodist Church, 2200 Dawson Road, Albany

— Thursday, 3 p.m.-7 p.m., Leesburg United Methodist Church, 117 Starksville Ave. North, Leesburg

— April 14, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Albany Mall, 2601 Dawson Road

— April 20, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, 417 W. Third Ave., Albany

— April 25, noon-5 p.m., Porterfield Memorial United Methodist Church, Albany

— May 4, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Porterfield Memorial United Methodist Church, Albany

— May 19, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Albany Police Department Law Enforcement Center, 201 W. Oglethorpe Blvd.

While donors of all blood types are encouraged to give blood, type O, A negative and B negative donors are urged to give Power Reds if they meet the additional eligibility criteria, the Red Cross said. Type O negative is the universal blood type and can be transfused to patients of any blood type in an emergency.

Type O positive can be transfused to Rh-positive patients of any blood type, while types A negative and B negative can be transfused to Rh-positive or negative patients.

Whole blood can be donated every 56 days, up to six times a year, and Power Red donations may be made every 112 days, up to three times per year.

To help, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. A blood donor card, driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in.

Individuals who are 17 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood donors can use RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. It can be found by going to redcrossblood.org/RapidPass.

The Red Cross supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood while also sheltering, feeding and providing emotional support to victims of disasters and teaching life skills. For more information, visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit Twitter at @RedCross.