National Blood Donor Month: Giving the Gift of Life

HANOVER TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY-It's blood donators like Annette Dixon who make the Red Cross thankful. "I gave a gallon of blood last year. I try to do it every two months." says, Dixon.The need for blood is constant, and so is the need for platelets. Andy Asher recalls the day he went from a casual donor to a commited donor. "I ran into a lady after donating who saw the bandaids on my arms. She asked me if i was a donor and i said yes. She asked me if she could give me a hug, I said sure.Turns out her son has luekema and he got a lot of platletes." says, Asher. Although platelet donation can take nearly 2 hours, what Andy heard next, makes every minute worth it."She says, you can see the life go back into his face as he's getting a donation. He doesn't get as many sore throats or colds and it lasts longer. " adds, Asher.During a platelet donation, a small portion of your blood is drawn and passed through a cell-seperating machine. The machine collects specific blood components and safely returns the remaining blood components back to you. For the donor, the process is anything but complicated. Donors are encouraged to relax while enjoying their favorite flick!