LifeShare Blood Center needs platelet donations.

“It’s one of the greatest needs right now,” said a spokesperson for the blood center, located at 2051 N. Mall Drive in Alexandria.

Platelets are the cells that circulate within our blood and bind together when they recognize damaged blood cells. 

Platelets help blood clots and heal wounds. This makes platelets critical for treating blood disorders, cancer patients, organ transplants and surgeries like open heart procedures. 

“While most donations are collected as whole blood, different donation procedures might be better suited for specific blood types and current patient needs,” according to the LifeShare news release.  “Giving the right type of donation helps ensure the greatest impact of a donor’s life-saving gift.”

 In the platelet donation process, blood is drawn and passed through an automated cell separator. The separator collects the platelets and safely returns the remaining blood components to the donor’s arm.

 This process takes approximately two hours and you can donate every 14 days with a maximum of 24 donations per year. Platelets expire after only seven days, which makes regular donations crucial to meeting local patient needs. 

Platelets can be donated at any LifeShare donor center.  It is important to know that not everyone who is eligible to donate blood will be eligible to donate platelets.  Call your local LifeShare donor center today at 800-256-5433 to speak to our trained staff about eligibility requirements and make your appointment today. The local phone number in Alexandria is 318-445-7439.