American Red Cross holds blood drive in Troy Wednesday

Donations critically low

TROY, Mich. – To supplement critically low blood supplies in the area, the City of Troy is sponsoring two Red Cross blood drives on Wednesday, September 18 (Room 305) and Thursday, September 19 (Room 304) from 9 am - 2:45 pm at the Troy Community Center, 3179 Livernois.
The Community Affairs Office at City Hall is scheduling appointments at 248.524.1147 or 313.549.7058. You may also sign up by visiting www.redcrossblood.org

Walk-ins are welcome, but a photo ID or Red Cross Donor Card will be required at the time of donation. Donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh more than 110 pounds, and be in good general health to donate.
"The blood needs of our community can only be met by support from volunteer blood donors," City of Troy Community Affairs Director Cindy Stewart said. "Donations are critical for burn victims, open-heart surgeries, some chemotherapy and leukemia patients, and disaster relief. One donation can help save the lives of up to three people."
For over 90 years, the American Red Cross-Southeastern Michigan Chapter has served the people of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

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How often can you donate blood?

How often can a person donate blood? According to the American Red Cross, it depends on what type of donation you are making.

If you are donating whole blood, you must wait 56 days between donations. According to the American Red Cross, those who make double red-cell donations must wait 112 days between donations.

You can make platelet donations more frequently than whole blood donations. The American Red Cross says you can make a platelet apheresis donation every seven days, up to 24 times a year.

Who can't donate blood?

Although there is a constant need for blood donations, not everyone is eligible to donate blood

According to the Mayo Clinic, because of some risks associated with blood, anyone who fits any of the following criteria is not allowed to donate blood:

  • Anyone who has ever used injection drugs not prescribe by a physician
  • Men who have had sexual contact with other men since 1977
  • Anyone who has ever received clotting factor concentrates
  • Anyone with a positive test for HIV
  • Men and women who have engaged in sex for money or drugs since 1977
  • Anyone who has had hepatitis since his or her 11th birthday
  • Anyone who has had babesiosis or Chagas' disease
  • Anyone who has taken etretinate (Tegison) for psoriasis
  • Anyone who has risk factors for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) or who has a blood relative with CJD
  • Anyone who spent three months or more in the United Kingdom from 1980 through 1996
  • Anyone who received a blood transfusion in the United Kingdom or France from 1980 to the present
  • Anyone who has spent five years in Europe from 1980 to the present

    Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/blood-donation/MY00526/DSECTION=what-you-can-expect

What tests are done on donated blood?

When blood is donated, tests are performed on the blood to make sure it's safe to give to a recipient.

Most of the tests look for multiple infectious disease markers, according to the American Red Cross.

The organization says it performs the following tests on donated blood:

  • Chagas disease
  • Hepatitis B virus
  • Hepatitis C virus
  • Human Immunodeficiency Viruses (HIV)
  • Human T-Lymphotropic Virus
  • Syphilis
  • West Nile Virus