Helping children kick cancer by giving blood to the Red Cross-News-Salina Journal

During this September’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the American Red Cross Society will help targeted donors, like other cancers that require blood transfusion, to help children, teens, and adolescents fight cancer. Blood donation is encouraged.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that more than 15,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States. Pediatric cancer patients may require regular blood products during chemotherapy, surgery, or treatment of complications.

With cancer and cancer treatment, patients are at risk of having low numbers of red blood cells and platelets. Certain types of chemotherapy damage the bone marrow and reduce the production of red blood cells and platelets. Cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma also attack the bone marrow. Blood transfusions give patients the important treatment they need to fight cancer and survive.

Blood donations are needed to make blood products available to pediatric cancer patients and others throughout this pandemic. As a gratitude, we will give Red Cross brand socks to those who come for a gift from September 4th to 8th.

Download the free Red Cross Blood Donor app, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), or play Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. Activate and book your donation. Blood circulation is also essential to ensure that blood is available to patients this winter. Visit RedCrossBlood.org / HostADrive to find out more and sign up to host a blood donation this fall and winter.

Partnership highlights childhood cancer awareness

Donors donate blood and platelets on the Red Cross and get free haircut coupons from Sports Clips Haircuts, a proud supporter of childhood cancer research, during the annual Saving Life Never Looked So Good campaign. So, you’ll get good results in September.

Anyone who comes to give blood or platelets from 1 to 30 September will be emailed a free haircut coupon a few days after the donation. This coupon is valid for participating sports clip locations until November 30, 2020. Donors must have a valid email address registered to receive the coupon.

Donors can visit RedCrossBlood.org/sport-clips, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), or donate blood skills on any Alexa Echo device. The Red Cross and Sports Clips encourage providers to share their new look with the hashtag #SavingLivesLooksGood and give it to others.

Important COVID-19 information for donors

The Red Cross is testing blood, platelet, and plasma donations for the COVID-19 antibody. Tests may show whether the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to this coronavirus, regardless of whether symptoms have occurred. The Red Cross Antibody Test helps identify individuals who have the COVID-19 antibody and who may be eligible to become convalescent plasma donors. Convalescent plasma is a type of blood donation collected from COVID-19 survivors who have antibodies that help patients actively fighting the virus. Donors can receive antibody test results within 7-10 days via the Red Cross Blood Donor App or the donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org.

The Red Cross isn’t testing donors to diagnose a disease, called a diagnostic test. To protect the health and safety of the Red Cross staff and donors, it is important for individuals who believe that they may feel sick or may become ill with COVID-19 donations.

Each Red Cross blood donation center and donation center adheres to the highest standards of safety and infection control, including temperature checks, social distances, and donor and staff face coverage to protect the health of all participants. Additional precautions have been implemented. Donors are required to schedule an appointment before arriving at the drive and must wear a face cover or mask during the drive, in accordance with official guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.