Yes, we recommend a meal or a snack within four hours before donating.
A gift of whole blood is usually divided into red cells and plasma, so that one gift can help more than one individual.
Premature infants, surgical patients, accident victims, and persons with leukemia and other diseases often require blood transfusions.
You can donate whole blood every 56 days and up to five times each year.
Platelet donors, who take part in a special process called apheresis, can donate as frequently as every 48 hours, or 24 times each year.
Blood donors must be at least 17 years of age and weigh at least 110 pounds. There is no maximum age limit.
No! Iron levels fluctuate all the time.
To keep your iron levels up, include the below items in your diet:
- Beef and turkey
- Beef liver and chicken liver
- Canned sardines (with oil)
- Clams and mollusks
- Mussels and oysters
- Broccoli
- Cooked beans
- Dried apricots
- Iron-enriched cereals
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Squash seeds
- Tofu
- Nutrition drink mixes
- Carnation instant breakfast
- Ovaltine
- Prune juice
- Tomato juice
- Vegetable juice
You cannot donate blood to yourself.
No.
Yes!
About four weeks after your first donation to Baystate Health, we will know your blood type and can share it with you in person during your next donation.
Contact our Donor Center at 413-794-4600 during the hours we are open, listed below:
Monday: 8 am-12 pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 12 pm-8 pm
Friday: 8 am-4 pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: 8 am-12 pm
You will give about 1 pint of blood during a single donation. An average adult has about 10 pints of blood in their body.
When you donate blood to Baystate Health, your precious gift remains in our local communities.
Following your donation, we will test your blood t o make sure your blood or platelets are safe for patient use. We'll notify you of any abnormal findings.