Want to Save Lives? Give Blood.

Blood is everywhere. Blood is the central theme for our favorite shows, war video games and horror movies. We are not a squeamish nation. The sight of blood doesn’t have us searching for our fainting salts or produces nightmares. Five movies of SAW is proof of our sturdy constitution. The American Red Cross like the rest of the nation is partial to the sight of large supplies of blood. We like to have our blood bank overflowing with healthy and viable blood that is ready to save lives. Currently, the American Red Cross is experiencing a shortage of blood donations, which poses a challenge when demand for blood remains steady.

One pint of blood can save up to 3 lives. Only 3% of Americans donate blood. The following reasons may help inspire you to give blood:

• Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.
• More than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day.
• More than 1 million new people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many of
them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.
• A total of 30 million blood components are transfused each year in the U.S.
(2006).
• A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood.
• The blood used in an emergency is already on the shelves before the event
occurs.
• Sickle cell disease affects more than 80,000 people in the U.S., 98 percent of
whom are African American. Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood
transfusions throughout their lives.

Join the 3% of the population and help save lives. Give Blood.

To find a local blood drive, visit http://www.redcrossblood.org/
Visit http://www.youtube.com/user/AmRedCross for more videos like Brian's Story