I gave my blood voluntarily, but the Red Cross sold it. The American Red Cross does not sell blood. Hospitals are charged a processing fee for the expenses incurred by the Red Cross in collecting, testing and distributing the blood. Because blood is given freely there is never a charge for the blood itself. Frankly, I m scared.
Most donors say they feel only a pinch, while others say they feel nothing at all.
The entire process takes less than one hour, the actual donation 5-7 minutes. A little less than one pint is taken. I ll give in an emergency situation. It can take 24-48 hours to complete the laboratory tests that must be done on every unit of blood. Blood must be donated before an emergency arises.