Utah Red Cross opens donation centers on Thanksgiving to meet lifesaving platelet needs

SALT LAKE CITY — Every year during the holiday season, the American Red Cross depends on the generosity of donors to give platelets as a show of gratitude to offer hope for families in need and make a real difference.

“Between November, December and January, we see not only the dip in donors from holidays, but also from people taking vacations, illness, weather-related issues, and so that’s where the kind of those factors come into play, and we see less donors coming in the door,” said Jeremiah Lafranca, executive director at the Salt Lake chapter of the American Red Cross.

“But the need doesn’t go away.”

The American Red Cross of Utah will open select donation centers for platelet donors on Thursday, aiming to support patients battling cancer, chronic illnesses and trauma.

Kate Macfarlane knows first-hand the lifesaving benefits of blood and platelet donation. She was diagnosed at 14 years old with a rare and life-threatening form of aplastic anemia.

“I am here today because strangers made the decision to give,” Macfarlane said at an event held earlier this year honoring the 79 donors who contributed to saving her life. She described the experience as “deeply moving and unforgettable.”

Blood donations can last up to 42 days in storage, but platelet donations can only last up to seven days, according to Lafranca. Due to the limitations of how long they can hold on to platelet donations, they are usually shipped out as soon as they are done processing them.

“When you have patients that are battling cancer, there’s that platelet transfusion that’s often needed when they’re going through their treatments, regardless of the type of cancer,” Lafranca said. “The need is always constant, and it’s always there.”

Roughly 3% of Americans donate their blood, whereas 42% are eligible, according to the Red Cross.

“It’s a great way to give back,” Lafranca said. “We’d like to highlight this as a way to express gratitude and to reflect and give back to people in our community that are in need.”

The process is also different for donating platelets from donating whole blood. A blood donation can take up to an hour, including health screening, donating and recovering afterward to prevent lightheadedness.

Platelet donation, which uses a process called apheresis, takes twice as long as a whole blood donation. During aphaeresis, blood is drawn from one arm and passed through a specialized machine that separates the platelets. The remaining blood is then returned to the body through the other arm.

Donating platelets involves the same level of discomfort as donating whole blood, with the added benefit of smaller needles, Lafranca said.

This year, donors who successfully give platelets, blood or plasma between Nov. 17 and Dec. 7 will take home PAC-MAN socks and a collectible PAC-MAN capsule toy as a token for donating. The Red Cross is also giving all November donors a complimentary A1C test, a useful tool for diabetes risk.

“We have an incredibly generous state,” Lafranca said. “I think Utah has quite the heart of service for supporting nonprofits or supporting their community.”

The following Red Cross donation centers will be open on Thanksgiving Day:

 

• Salt Lake Donation Center, 6616 S. 900 East; 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
• Lehi Donation Center, 310 N. 850 East; 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
• Layton Donation Center, 852 W. Hill Field Road; 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.

 

Appointments can be made through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, at redcross.org/giveblood, or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Use sponsor codes SaltLakeCityUT, LaytonUT or LehiUT to pick a location.