Blood donors are people who I think society takes for granted, at least in modern Western culture anyways.
We always just assume there will be blood on the shelf when we need the help ourselves, and many folks out there simply believe that there are enough people donating blood already. This is not the case. According to the American Red Cross, 41,000 units of blood are needed every single day. That is mind-boggling, but it makes sense if you realize just how many units are required for specific medical treatments.
The fact of the matter is this: not enough people are currently donating blood. Depending on the location of the blood center in question, as well as the number of hospitals and medical needs that center is serving, it can take hundreds if not thousands of blood donors to donate daily! That is an incredible statistic to think about. Stats gathered from the Blood Center of the Pacific’s website state that 1 in 7 people entering a hospital will need at least one blood transfusion.
Realistically, it is a constant battle to get folks to donate. Even frequent donors can need a gentle “push” through the door, but their actions are never taken for granted, and their time is always appreciated. A big reason why people don’t donate is because they think it takes a ton of time; in reality, it takes an hour. While the constant battle of education rages on, will you take it upon yourself to donate blood during this winter?