January is National Blood Donor Month.  It was created to encourage donors to give or pledge to give blood to their local community blood centers.

First-time and regular donors are encouraged to make a difference in their communities by giving blood every January, and regularly thereafter. Blood is traditionally in short supply during the winter months due to the holidays, travel schedules, inclement weather and illness.

January, in particular, is a difficult month for blood centers to collect blood donations.

Americans have a long history of rolling their sleeves up and donating blood during disasters and in national emergencies; however, the need to donate blood within the Central Texas communities year round is vital.  The criteria list that would disqualify a donor from donating blood is long, and many of our Fort Hood service members, retirees and their Families are often restricted from donating due to overseas travels and deployments.

Most blood donor centers have a hard time finding and sustaining a steady pool of donors.  The challenges are especially hard for the Robertson Blood Center on Fort Hood since they are unauthorized to organize blood drives outside of Fort Hood property.

A reduction in blood donors can put tremendous strains on RBC’s blood inventory.  A steady blood supply to hospitals and blood banks is essential, but the blood collected from Fort Hood’s RBC is directly shipped and used to save Soldiers’ lives.

Unlike pharmaceutical drugs or canned foods, whole blood and blood components have a finite expiration timeframe.  According to the Red Cross, whole blood has a shelf-life of 21-35 days, red blood cells have a shelf-life of 42 days and platelets’ shelf-life is five days.

Blood collection and donation requires that donor and patient have compatible blood groups; however, that only applies to red cell transfusion.  For instance, group O is often cited as the “universal blood donor group” but it only refers to red cell transfusions.  For plasma transfusions, the system is reversed and AB is the universal donor group.

For a small percentage of the population, finding someone else with the same blood type can be difficult.  Individuals with rare blood types may only have one known compatible blood donor in
their county or state.  Therefore, everyone should know their blood type and register with their local blood center if they have a rare blood type.

Becoming a lifetime blood donor is highly encouraged for individuals that have rare bloods.  Additionally, seek other individuals with rare blood types that could become your lifeline in times of emergencies.

Visit Fort Hood RBC and get to know all the necessary eligibility criteria to donate blood.  If you are a Fort Hood leader or a mentor, teach others of the important mission the RBC staff does for our Soldiers, or coordinate a blood drive with the assistance from RBC staff.

Visit RBC online or call them at 285-5808.  Let’s make Central Texas a great place for healthy and safe living.