January is National Blood Donor Month.
Shay Willis, a spokesperson for LifeServe Blood Center, tells RadioOnTheGo News that one blood type is needed more than the others.
“O negative is the most in demand and the reason that is is because O negative is what we call the universal blood type meaning no matter what blood type you have or I have or anybody has, they can be given O negative blood. So if you’re in a car accident and they need to give you a blood transfusion quickly, they’re going to give you O negative red blood cells because it’s the universal donor and it can be given to anybody. So I think the most in-demand blood type all the time is that O negative blood.”
Willis says appointments to donate blood usually last up to one hour.
“Prior to that appointment, you’re eating good meals and you’re drinking lots of water. You want to be well nourished. You don’t want to fast before a blood donation. I think a lot of people get blood donation and having blood drawn confused. If you’re going to your doctor’s office to have blood drawn, they’re going to want you to fast. When you come to see us to donate blood, we want you to have a full belly, to have been eating well, to have been well hydrated because that’s just going to make your experience overall so much better.”
To schedule an appointment call 800-287-4903 or go to lifeservebloodcenter.org.
