One thing you can do to help...

In the wake of a terrible loss of life, a tragedy, or a disaster, there are lots of people that just want to help.

They don't live close by, they don't have generous funds to donate, but they still want to do something.

One brilliant way to help is to donate blood. Not everyone can, but millions of people who can...don't.

*Although an estimated 38 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood at any given time, less than 10% of that eligible population actually do each year.* [American Red Cross]

• Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.
• Approximately 36,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day in the U.S.
• Nearly 7,000 units of platelets and 10,000 units of plasma are needed daily in the U.S.
• The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints.
• The blood type most often requested by hospitals is type O.
• The blood used in an emergency is already on the shelves before the event occurs.
• A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood.

 [American Red Cross]

Now you can imagine the hospitals in Florida scrambling to get enough blood for the influx of patients.

They pull from every state around them to fill the immediate need, then again to re-stock their shelves. Then those states must request from the states around them. And, so on and so on.

So, even if you live in North Dakota, when you donate blood you are helping replenish the blood pool.

If you don't know where to donate, most of your local hospitals will know where you can go or use the links below to find a drive near you.

Some states have already declared a blood emergency and donations typically drop during the summer months.

Donating blood is more than help, its a gift of life.

American Red Cross
New York Blood Center
Community Blood Services