Thank you for taking the time to come out and help with our United Together SleevesUp Virtual Blood Drive. With the help of volunteers like you, we were able to collect over 65 pints of blood and potentially save 180 lives. As you know, each blood donation can help save up to three lives. Your willingness to commit your time to this effort is truly appreciated by the blood recipients, their loved ones, and all of us here at UnitedHealthcare Community and State Plan of Virginia.

Blood is the gift of life and is the most precious gift that anyone can give to another person. The need for blood donations is constant with someone needing blood every two seconds and 31,000 pints of blood being used in our county daily. I encourage each of you to continue donating as often as you can as our nation’s blood banks are still facing a shortage.

Alison suffered from both placenta previa and placenta percreta during the birth of her daughter, Gwendolyn. Placenta percreta is the most rare and severe form of placenta accreta. This condition results in the placenta not being able to detach during delivery and risks catastrophic hemorrhage and death for the mother.

Alison lost one and a half times her total blood volume during the delivery of her daughter. She spent seven hours in surgery to repair the damage and received 14 units of whole blood, 8 units AB Elite and 4 units of platelets.

“I would not be alive if it weren’t for donors. Even the skilled hands of my surgeons would not have been able to save my life without blood product donations,” said Alison. “I will be forever grateful to those who donate blood products, so my three children have their mother.”

Thanks to the generosity of blood donors like you, Alison and patients like her will continue to receive the transfusions they desperately need. When you donate blood, you help give hope and healing to those who face life and death challenges. We hope you’ll consider coming back to donate again soon. Your generosity can help change lives and keep families together.

Our Associate Director supporting our blood drive 🙂

At each blood drive or donation center, Red Cross employees follow thorough safety protocols, including:
• Wearing gloves and changing them often
• Wiping down donor-touched areas after every collection
• Using sterile collection sets for every donation
• Preparing the arm for donation with aseptic scrub
• Conducting donor mini-physicals to ensure donors are healthy and well on day of donation
The Red Cross has also increased vigilance concerning some of safety protocols including:
• Enhanced disinfecting of surfaces and equipment
• Providing hand sanitizer for use before entering and throughout the donation appointment
• Temperature checks before presenting donors enter the blood drive or donation center
• Following social distancing practices between donors including donor beds, as well as waiting and refreshment areas
• During this time, blankets typically used by platelet, Power Red and AB Elite donors at Red Cross blood donation centers will be laundered after each use, which may limit the availability. Donors are encouraged to bring their own blankets, but electric blankets and heating pads are not permitted.
• Staff wearing basic face masks
• For the safety of our donor community and in accordance with CDC guidelines, all donors are required to wear a face covering or mask. Please bring a face covering or mask to your donation. If you do not have one, a mask will be provided to you.
Finally, only eligible and healthy people are allowed to give blood.
These mitigation measures will help ensure blood recipient safety, as well as staff and donor safety in reducing contact with those who may potentially have this respiratory infection.

COVID-19 INFO: Donating blood products is essential to community health and eligible donors are encouraged to donate during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Red Cross follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those in need. Learn more.

For the safety of our donor community and in accordance with CDC guidelines, all donors are required to wear a face covering or mask. Please bring one to your donation. If you do not have one, a mask will be provided to you.

Thanks for your ongoing support of patients in need.

Thanks for your ongoing support of patients in need.

Thank you and kudos to Tammy! Tammy recently donated Platelets and Plasma. She has also learned that her April donation went to a Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia.