Mark Jensen, Grand Forks, letter: Help save lives by donating blood

GRAND FORKS — Blood donations are needed every day by people whose lives have been changed without warning. Young and old alike, the need for blood knows no limits.

Dak Minn Blood Bank, located at Altru Hospital, is the primary blood supplier for patients at Altru Health System. As Altru continues to grow, the need for blood donors also increases.

This past year, the months of June, October and December saw record-breaking or near-record-breaking months of total blood products being used by Altru’s patients.

More than 6,400 blood products were transfused this past year.

Dak Minn is grateful to the volunteer blood donors who donated more than 5,900 units of blood that helped in the fight to keep an adequate supply of blood on hand for the patients who needed medical treatment in 2011.

January is designated as National Blood Donor Month, and Dak Minn Blood Bank is promoting this month by giving out free T-shirts and a cholesterol screening to people who volunteer to be a blood donor.

Each year, about 4.5 million Americans would die without lifesaving blood transfusions. Because there is no substitute for human blood and one out of every 10 people entering a hospital will need blood, one donation can save up to two to three lives.

Please, Herald readers, do more than think about it. Become a donor today, and share your gift of life.

Mark Jensen

Jensen is donor resource coordinator at Dak Minn Blood Bank.

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