Where does your blood donation go? Now OneBlood plans to tell you where and how it is used
Blood donations have plummeted throughout the pandemic but the Treasure Coast's blood supplier has come up with a new way to enable donors to track where their donation goes and perhaps receive a "thank you" message from its recipient.
OneBlood, which services Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties and is familiar to residents with its Big Red Bus donation vehicles, has unveiled its My OneBlood Journey program that notifies donors when their blood is on its way to help a patient and even what hospital it is heading to.
To participate in the program, donors simply need to provide their email address at the time of donation. A tag is attached to donations OneBlood sends to hospitals, and patients or family members can send an electronic message back to their donor.
“My OneBlood Journey and Message My Donor are bringing the donation experience full-circle by personalizing the donation experience for donors and by bringing them a step closer to the patients they are helping save,” said Susan Forbes, senior vice president of corporate communications and public relations at OneBlood. “We have created a ground-breaking program that brings the donation experience full-circle and is bringing a personal connection for donors by bringing them a step closer to the patients they are helping save.”
Blood donation is an easy way to make a tremendous impact in your community, Forbes said.
“The pandemic continues to up-end many of the traditional locations for blood drives and it’s so important that people keep the blood supply at the forefront and continue to donate each and every time they are eligible,” said Forbes.
One donor's story: Black blood donors are desperately needed, so I donated for the first time
Some of the messages donors have received back from the recipients have been very rewarding. While most say thanks for donating, some are very specific and even reference how the donation was utilized.
“Thanks so much for saving my life,” one recipient wrote. “I had four bleeding ulcers and your blood brought my hemoglobin back up.”
Another recipient said the donation helped save her father’s life.
“He is the only dad I have,” the family of one recipient wrote. “Thanks to you, I still have him.”
Transfusions are taking place every day in hospitals throughout the Treasure Coast and it’s important that donors replenish the supply so there is blood readily available, Forbes said. To find the closest donor center or a Big Red Bus blood drive, visit oneblood.org.
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WHERE TO GO
There are donations center in each Treasure Coast county. They are located at:
Vero Beach Donor Center, 1300 36th Street, Vero Beach
Port St. Lucie Donor Center, 7572 US 1, Port St. Lucie
Stuart Donor Center, 2929 SW Ocean Blvd., Stuart
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Where does your blood donation go? Now OneBlood plans to inform you
