The American Red Cross supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood supply. The Red Cross provides blood for patients in approximately 2,700 hospitals across the U.S. Yesterday I walked you through the process of blood donation with the American Red Cross. What happens to the blood after you donate it? Being a Red Cross Minnesota Social Media Advocate, I was able to take a tour of the North Central Blood Services building to see what happens to blood post donation and all the steps (and checks!) it goes through before it reaches a patient in need. Here's a very simplified look: ***WARNING: There is a lot of blood (in bags) in these photos*** Blood comes into the center through triage. Here donations are inventoried and sorted by component (cryo, plasma, whole blood, double red cells, platelets...). Those components with a shorter life span are processed first. The blood center has to inventory and keep track of EVERYTHING that comes in and goes out including their waste and … [Read more...]

Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. More than 41,000 blood donations are needed every day. Although an estimated 38% of the U.S. population is eligible to donate, less than 10% actually do each year. March is American Red Cross month. As a Red Cross Minnesota Social Media Advocate, I was given the chance to tour the North Central Blood Services building. I donated blood (for the very first time!) and learned what happens to the blood after it is donated. It was fascinating and I'll take you through the process! First you'll decide to donate blood. I hate needles so this was my first time donating. This is what I looked like on my way to the donation center. Once you get to the blood donation center, you'll check in what a photo ID. You'll get a name tag, and if you are a rookie donor like me, you'll get a rookie sticker too :) You'll be asked to read a packet with all the rules to blood donation. It lays out who can and can not donate based on … [Read more...]