Blood donors help save lives, but only 4% of the population donates blood.
There are eight different blood types – A+, A-, B-, B+, O-, O+, AB+, AB- – and type O blood donors are critically needed now in South Carolina.
Types O negative and O positive are always in high demand. According to the American Red Cross, only 7% of the population is O negative, but the need for O negative blood is the highest since it is used most often during emergencies. Additionally, type O negative blood is the universal blood type needed for emergency transfusions and for immune-deficient infants. The need for O positive blood is high because it is the most frequently-occurring blood type – 37% of the population.
Platelets are also currently in high demand in the Palmetto State. Remember that you can donate platelets every seven days and up to 24 times a year, so you can make a big impact.
We have compiled a list of ongoing blood drives and blood bank centers where you can donate regularly and save lives, as well as information on how often you can give each blood component.
You can learn about upcoming blood drives in your area of the state by visiting https://www.oneblood.org/donate-now/ and entering your zip code. OneBlood even offers schools, businesses, churches or community gatherings the opportunity to host their own blood drives by filling out an online form at https://www.oneblood.org/host-a-blood-drive/.
The Blood Connection also has an online feature where you can search for mobile drives and donor centers by zip code and date: https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/zip.
DOWNLOAD: Blood Donation Centers
By Colin McCandless
