Blood banks across the nation are hoping that more people will get into the habit of donating blood or platelets. The need for blood and platelets is constant. Donated blood is used to treat trauma patients and for transfusion during surgery. Patients receiving treatment for leukemia and other cancers, as well as a wide range of other diseases, are often treated with donated platelets. So when people donate here, they are literally helping their friends, their neighbors, members of their own families, possibly even themselves.
Young people are especially encouraged to donate blood and platelets.
Maintaining a healthy supply of blood and blood platelets year-round is crucial. Here, Peter Hammond, a registered nurse with the DeGowin Blood Center, checks on donor Kyle Angle of Iowa City.