Blood Assurance, sole supplier of blood products to Tennova Healthcare-Clarksville, is holding a blood drive at APSU Thursday, Feb. 11 from 10 a.m.-3p.m. in front of the Kimbrough Building.
Blood Assurance will be collecting whole blood and convalescent plasma donations at this drive.
“Regular plasma, platelets and whole blood go to trauma patients or cancer patients or people who need a blood transfusion, all of that,” Kelly Simons, special donations recruiter with Blood Assurance said.
Convalescent plasma donations are used by patients in the hospital fighting COVID-19. To be eligible to donate convalescent plasma donors must have recovered from COVID-19 and have been symptom free for 14 days.
“If you get the vaccine you can’t donate anymore. So, people who are able to give, because they haven’t gotten the vaccine yet, it’s really important to give, to help as many as you can. One donation can help as many as four people,” Simons said.
To be eligible to donate blood, you must be at least 17 years old (16 years old with parental consent), weigh 110 pounds or more and be in good health.
There will giveaways held. Convalescent plasma donors will receive a $25 Walmart e-gift card and be entered to win a Macbook Air. Any blood donor can also give twice this year to be entered to win a side-by-side. All donors will receive a T-shirt.
“If you are donating regular whole blood, O donors, meaning you are O+ or O- blood types, you’ll get a ten-dollar Amazon gift card,” Simon said.
To schedule an appointment to donate whole blood at this drive, donors can text BAGIVE to 999777, visit bloodassurance.org, or call 800-962-0628. Donors who would like to schedule to give convalescent plasma must call 800-962-0628.
Blood Assurance is taking extra precautions to ensure the safety of donors and staff, including requiring both donors and staff to wear masks and frequently disinfecting all items and surfaces used by donors.
“One [convalescent plasma] donation helps four people, and it’s a really special thing that you can do for other people to help somebody with something that’s already inside of you,” Simon said.
Blood Assurance is a nonprofit full-service regional blood center, and their mission is to provide a safe and adequate supply of blood and blood components, in a cost-effective manner, to every area patient in need, according to their website.
For more information about Blood Assurance, their giveaways, blood donation and how to help area patients, please visit bloodassurance.org. For more information about convalescent plasma, potential donors can visit bloodassurance.org/covidplasma.
UPDATE: The Blood Assurance blood drive that was scheduled for today is cancelled due to inclement weather.
