YOU CAN DONATE IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE COVID-19 VACCINE. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO. LOGIN HOST A BLOOD DRIVE FIND A BLOOD DRIVE GIVING BLOOD Elite Donors You can maximize your donation by becoming an Elite Donor. Elite donors give platelets, plasma and double red cells. These donations take a little more time than whole blood donations, but have a big impact on the community by helping our hospital partners save the lives of patients who need a special blood transfusion to heal and survive. Platelets & Plasma Platelets and plasma are donated through the process of apheresis. Apheresis (pronounced ay-fer-ee-sis) is a Greek word meaning “to separate” or “to take away.” You can donate platelets every two weeks and plasma every four weeks. Platelet transfusions are essential in treating many different types of cancer. Platelets function in the body to help clotting by sticking to the lining of blood vessels. They help prevent massive blood loss resulting from trauma and blood vessel leakage. A single platelet donation provides as many of these blood-clotting cells as approximately five whole blood donations. A platelet donation takes between 1-2 hours. LifeSouth provides televisions, comfortable chairs, snacks and drinks to help keep you relax during your donation. Platelets and plasma are needed from O positive, A, B and AB blood types. Double Red Double red cell donations are similar to whole blood donations. If you meet certain criteria, double red cell donation allows you to safely donate two units of red cells during one appointment to maximize the impact of your donation and your time. This procedure is great for donors with a much needed blood type and an extremely busy schedule. You can donate double red every 112 days. Blood types that are preferred for this procedure include: O, A negative or B negative. Donating double red cells takes about 20-30 minutes longer than a whole blood donation and you can donate approximately every four months. 4039 Newberry Road, Gainesville, FL 32607 888-795-2707 beau@lifesouth.org Privacy Policy Sitemap Careers Current Employees Blog Request Donor ID Card Contact Us Back To Top ©2021 LifeSouth Community Blood Centers. All rights reserved. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept All Cookies