We hope you are having a safe, productive, happy and healthy month. Because January is National Blood Donor Month, your friends at LG Insurance want to share with you some facts about the benefits of giving blood and encourage you to donate.
Why is donating blood so important? You may have heard that each blood donation can save up to three lives, and it’s true! Human blood is a necessary medical resource that can’t be artificially manufactured. A few minutes of discomfort on your part can save the life of someone in need. According to the American Red Cross, someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds. That amounts to a need of 36,000 units of red blood cells per day. There are people with certain diseases or illnesses who need blood regularly, as well as victims of car accidents or violent crimes who may need up to 100 pints of blood during their recovery. Giving blood really is one of the best things you can do to help people in need, and it won’t cost you a cent!
What are the benefits for the donor? Donating blood not only helps those in need, there are benefits for the donor as well. Like any form of volunteering, giving blood is great for your mental health. The satisfaction of knowing you’ve helped someone is a wonderful feeling. There are benefits for your physical health too. You get a mini-physical before every donation, which can help you monitor your health and detect issues early. If you donate blood regularly, you’ll get frequent checks of your pulse, blood pressure, iron levels, hemoglobin and more. With great benefits to both you and transfusion recipients, there’s really no reason to not donate unless you have a condition which makes your blood unusable.
If you can, please donate blood this month, even regularly if you are able! Be on the lookout, as there may be mobile blood drives as well as organizations hosting blood drives soon. If you cannot find one but want to help out, there is an American Red Cross Donation Center in Princeton Township. Thank you for giving the gift of life!
