Did You Know?

• Every two seconds, someone in the country needs blood.
• Blood makes up seven percent of a person's body weight.
• Red blood ells have a shelf life of 42 days, and platelets last only five days, so donors are always needed.
• Every unit of blood can be separated into several components, potentially saving the lives of three or more patients.
• About 38 percent of people in the United States have type O positive blood.  Their blood can be transfused to anyone with a positive blood type.
• About seven percent of the U.S. population has type O negative blood.  They are called "universal donors" because their blood can be transfused to patients with any blood type.
• You cannot catch any disease by donating blood.
• A heart surgery uses an average of six pints of red blood cells and six units of platelets.
• People have 10 to 12 pints of blood in their body.  Blood donors give a pint of blood per donation and their body replaces the fluid within several hours.
• There is a 97 percent chance that someone you know will need a blood transfusion.