American Red Cross Platelet Donation Process

The American Red Cross figured out that Platelet donations helped cancer patients in 1961. Now in today’s environment healthy people can go to the Red Cross and donate their platelets to help others. The team at the America Red Cross makes it easy and with a little planning you can be a platelet donor to help others. The process is rewarding and the team at the American Red Cross is super helpful!

The platelet donation process requires that blood is drawn from your arms, circulated through a machine, and returned back to you. The scientific process of this is amazing to see. The extraction process is time-consuming but saving lives does take time!

Donating platelets can easily be achieved if you have a tablet and TV Shows that play in succession. The time will fly by while you watch your shows. Although the facility may have some “old DVD” movies, do not depend on this. Bring your own content. You’ve got 3–4 hours to binge-watch your favorite show. In order to have a successful platelet donation, here are the steps to review as you embark on this activity.

1. Create an account at www.redcrossblood.org and install the mobile application on your phone. It is not mandatory to install it on your phone, but with the mobile app you can reduce your touchpoints in the facility.
2. Book an appointment through the application or by calling your local American Red Cross. I like to visit an “Official Office” of the Red Cross. Here in Fairfax, VA, that office is located at Fairfax Blood Donation Center 8550 Arlington Blvd, Suite 325 Fairfax, VA 22031.
3. Record the appointment on your work and home calendar. Set a reminder notice for 2 days before the appointment. You need to prepare your media content and start your water intake process.
4. Obtain a tablet that can be positioned on your lap. During your donation, you will not have the use of your hands. While the staff can assist, it is much easier if you have a device that can remain positioned at your viewing angle with no assistance. You want a device you can watch while you are lying down. Test this in your bed.
5. Obtain a product that allows media content to play in succession with no user input. NetFlix has the capacity to do this.
6. Obtain a wired headset or test your wireless headset and your tablet. Verify the wireless headset can maintain a charge for 4 hours.
7. At least five days prior to your appointment, download 4 hours of TV Shows on your tablet that you want to see. Test the content to confirm that when one show ends, the next show will start automatically.
8. Obtain a small travel bag that you can put your keys and phone into when you arrive.

Once you have the content downloaded, you need to look at your preparation to be physically ready for the process. The Red Cross has a number of tips to follow before the donation. Please follow them, especially the part about the aspirin and other medications. You need to increase your water intake the day before and the day of the donation. For myself, I find that 4 glasses of water stretched out over 8 hours before the process allows me to complete the process successfully. I really should increase my water intake 2 days before the process, but I forget!

On the day of the procedure, use the application to complete the Rapid Pass questions. If you forget, that is OK, you can do it at the facility. If you finish it on your mobile phone, you will get a bar code they can scan. If you do it on your computer, you can print the rapid pass and hand it to them.

When you arrive at the facility, you will check-in. You will be escorted to the private room for a quick health review. They will confirm your previous activities to confirm you are healthy and pose no risk in your donation. They will “pinch” your finger for a quick blood test and take your temperature.

Once the health review is complete, use the restroom and then proceed to the “Bed”. Before climbing in, turn off your phones and place them in the small travel bag you brought. Ask for a blanket to be positioned over you. They can always remove it later. Then place your tablet on top of the blanket. Plugin your headset and pause. (Note you did not start your content or position your headphones)

The team will begin to set up for your activities. If this is the first time you are there, it will take a little while for them to configure the machine for your settings. Once it is configured, they will start the first injection into your arm. ONCE THE FIRST INJECTION IS DONE, Use your free hand to insert your headphones and start your content. Adjust the volume slightly higher than normal. There will be some background noise that you will want to drown out. Return your 2nd arm to the resting position and confirm that the content is viewable and audible. Once you have confirmed this, let the team execute the second injection.

With the injections in place you are now there for the next 3 hours. It’s a little uncomfortable, but just know that you are helping SOO many people. So just sit there and know that your discomfort is helping so many people.

Once the procedure is complete, you may need to use the restroom. Regardless of your gender, sit down to relieve yourself. You are very light-headed at this point and the use of the restroom will exacerbate that feeling. Sitting down reduces the risk of you falling.

After you are comfortable proceed to the “recovery” area and consume the juice and crackers. Take your time to replenish. It is not uncommon to rest and replenish for 20–30 minutes. That is perfectly normal. At any time if you feel uncomfortable, shout out for assistance. The team is there to assist.

Donating platelets helps so many people. My family members are direct beneficiaries of this program and therefore that is why I donate. Even if you are not involved in the process, the donation is a great way for those of us that are healthy to give back to others. On a side note, I would like to mention that the day after the procedure I feel VERY refreshed. I would be interested to know if others get the same results.