Press release from the American Red Cross:
Area Residents to be Honored for Milestone Platelet Donations
Red Cross Distributes Awards to Platelet Pheresis DonorsOn Wednesday, Aug. 12, the American Red Cross will honor local platelet pheresis donors at the annual Platelet Pheresis Appreciation Banquet for their outstanding support of platelet donation. Combined, these donors have given over 13,100 platelet products this past year. A single platelet donation can take as long as two hours to complete. In addition to Allen County, donors travel from Huntington, Kosciusko, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley Counties to the Fort Wayne or Lutheran Hospital donor centers to give the gift of platelets.
Three categories of awards will be presented. Milestone awards recognize donors who have donated 100, 200 and 300 platelet pheresis donations in their lifetime. Another category recognizes donors who have given 24 times in one year, the most platelet pheresis donations a person can donate in a year.
Platelet pheresis uses a cell separator to collect only platelets and returns the other blood components to the donor. The concentrated dose of platelets collected through platelet pheresis is as many as six to 24 times the amount collected in a traditional whole blood donation. Platelet products are primarily used by cancer patients. When a patient is having extensive chemotherapy, the production of blood cells is affected and the platelet count may drop to a critical level.
The Platelet Pheresis Appreciation Banquet will take place at Ceruiti’s Summit Park, 6601 Innovation Blvd. in Fort Wayne. Banquet registration and dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. with program to start at 6 p.m.
How to Donate Platelets
If you are 18 years of age or older, weigh at least 110 pounds, and are in good general health, you may be eligible to donate platelet pheresis. Please call 1-800-589-8127 to schedule your platelet pheresis donation appointment.About the American Red Cross
The Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region serves northern and central Indiana and northwestern Ohio, and needs to collect about 500 units of blood a day to meet patient need in more than 60 hospitals. In addition to providing blood to our community, the American Red Cross also provides relief to victims of disaster, trains millions in lifesaving skills, serves as a communication link between U.S. military members and their families, and assists victims of international disasters or conflicts.
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