February 19, 2019
By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph –
Oklahoma Blood Institute needs strong, inspiring, giving, and heroic blood donors to save the lives of local patients! They need donors especially in February.
Through April 30, blood donors will receive their choice of inspirational t-shirt in one of three featured colors: coral, sky blue, or gray.
Crystal Hogg and the OBI Bloodmobile was in Western Oklahoma Tuesday for a blood drive before the bad weather moved in and they shut it down. She says each year, February is typically one of the months that the blood supply in Oklahoma is the lowest, many times “scary-low.” The demand is usually up and blood donors are fewer and farther between.
However, this particular February isn’t as critical as those Hogg has seen in the past.
Hogg, who is the Oklahoma City Mobile Senior Supervisor, says only ten percent of people in the United States who are eligible to give blood actually do, but the need for blood, Hogg says, never stops.
Blood donation takes just about an hour, and each donation can save the lives of up to three patients. Whole blood can be donated every 56 days. Platelet donations can be made as often as every 7 days, up to 24 times a year.
She says if you missed today’s drive, there’s always another one not far behind. If one can’t wait, check out OBI online.
For those in Elk City, another drive is next week on Wednesday from 9 to 2 pm at Elk City High School and for those in Taloga, there’s a drive on Monday from 2:30 to 6 pm at Great Plains Bank.
Oh, and besides the T-shirt, donors also receive free health screenings and Donor Rewards points, redeemable at Oklahoma Blood Institute’s online store.
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