According to the Red Cross, more than 6.8 million Americans donate blood every year. Did you know that each donor who walks through the door makes a difference in three lives, as only one pint of donated blood can help save as many as three lives?
Blood is the most undervalued gift that anyone could give. It usually ends up being the gift of life to the person receiving it. While none of us will ever know if we will be on the other side of blood donation, donating blood if you're able can make an impact on the lives of people in your community.
What Are the Different Types of Blood?
Did you know that there are actually eight possible blood types? They include:
- O negative
- O positive
- A negative
- A positive
- B negative
- B positive
- AB negative
- AB positive
O positive is the most common blood type among Americans, while AB negative is considered to be the rarest. Those with AB negative blood are asked to donate as much as they can to ensure the safety of others who might be in need of that blood type.
What Is Required to Give Blood?
Although blood donation facilities are always looking for current and new donors to give blood, there arerestrictions on who can and cannot donate blood.
For instance, when you are donating whole blood, you must be:
- In good health
- Feeling well (not sick)
- At least 16 years old
- Weigh at least 110 pounds
In addition, you can only donate every 56 days. Therefore, some people who enjoy donating blood tend to mark their calendars for every couple months.
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