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Blood
Services, Southwest Region
Contact: Jackie Hamm
940-322-8686 x 24
Wichita Falls Office:
1809 5th St
Wichita Falls, TX 76301
Hours:
Tuesday &
Thursday 11 a.m. - 6:30.p.m.
Friday 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
contact Jackie Hamm @ 940-322-8686 x24, or by
email:
Blood drive schedules are subject to change.
To confirm a date or location, or for more information on our blood drives,
contact Mary Dyrda @ 322-8686 x21
Scroll down to read about platelets!
Eligible donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh 110 pounds, and be
in good health. If you would like more information, please call us.
The percentage of your total blood volume that consists of oxygen-carrying red blood cells is your hematocrit. To be accepted as a whole blood donor, your hematocrit must be at least 38 percent. To help you stay eligible for future donations, you can increase your hematocrit level by increasing your intake of iron-rich foods.
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If donations stopped today – America would be out of blood in 2 days
⌂ Every 2 seconds – someone, somewhere needs blood
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60% of the nations population are eligible to donate – only 5% actually donate
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1 blood donation can help save up to 3 lives
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The American Red Cross provides blood whenever, and wherever it is needed
nationwide because the American Red Cross is the nation’s largest blood
transportation network.
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The American Red Cross is the only congressional chartered non profit blood bank
in the United States.
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The American Red Cross is contracted with the Department of Defense to assist
with military blood need when requested.
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The American Red Cross is the “guardian of the nations blood supply” in that we
are the only national blood bank in the United States.
This
is O.T. Basinger, who has donated 32 gallons,
driving 25,600 miles and saving 768 lives in the process.
That's Amanda taking care of him.
Platelets are the body’s first line of defense against bleeding. Platelets are what controls excessive bleeding. If fact, billions of platelets are found in the human body, looking for signs of trouble. Individual platelet cells join together when an affected area is found.
Patients with many forms of cancer including, Leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease and Rhabdomyosarcoma, often undergo treatments for their disease that involve the use of potent drugs. These drugs kill the cancerous cells, along with healthy and helpful cells like blood-clotting platelets. Those undergoing organ transplants, bone marrow transplants and open-heart surgery often receive platelets too. Without platelet donors, many patients awaiting transfusions could suffer life-threatening hemorrhages without them. Simply put, an everyday occurrence like a small bruise or a sneeze could be a deadly threat to patients needing platelets.
Platelets only have a shelf life of five days, and can be prepared from a regular donation of whole blood. However, through a process called Apheresis, single donor can supply as many platelets as six to eight whole blood donations provides. Because other components are not collected through the Apheresis process the amount of platelets collected is much greater.
Donors relax in a comfortable chair while a relatively small amount of blood is drawn from the arm and travels into a blood cell separator. The blood is rapidly spun, separating the platelets from other blood components. The collected platelets then go into a sterile plastic bag. Meanwhile, the rest of the blood – plasma, red cells and white cells – is returned to the donor. This cycle is repeated several times, taking approximately an hour to an hour and a half. During the donation, donors can rest, watch television, read, listen to the radio or talk to our friendly staff.
You must be at least 17 years old to donate and weigh at least 110 pounds. Because your body replaces platelets in about 24 hours, a person could donate platelets as often as 48 hours, but most platelet donors donate every two weeks. You cannot donate platelets more than 24 times a year.
The process takes an hour to an hour and a half and it’s very safe. You may feel a little pinch like any other needle stick. Trained Red Cross staff closely supervises your donation; and just like a regular donation there is no risk of catching a disease. All material coming in contact with the donor’s blood is used only once, and then destroyed.
If you would like to schedule an appointment to donate platelets, please call Laura Villarreal toll-free at 800-908-8056, ext. 156 or the local Center at 940-322-8686, ext. 37. Our local staff: Amanda Terry, Jan Lucas and Ashley Escobedo welcome you to consider donating platelets. Our hours of operation are:
Monday & Wednesday 7:30am – 3:30pm
Tuesday & Thursday 10am – 6pm
Friday & Saturday 7:30am – 1:30pm