South Bend Medical Foundation details the blood donation process

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) – With the recent news from the Red Cross that there is a shortage of blood nationwide, but the affects are still being felt here in Michiana too.

And that’s why the South Bend Medical Foundation is urging people to donate during this necessary time.

However, the donation process can have some people hesitant, whether it’s concerns over health, time, or just outright being scared.

Which is why officials with SBMF joined 16 Morning News Now, to try and break some of the stigma surrounded by blood donations.

Officials will walk you through check-ins starting with registration at the front desk, answering a survey based on your medical history to ensure you’re healthy enough, as well as your blood being clean enough to donate, and you’ll finish up with a quick physical.

The physical includes a blood pressure test and “prick” test to your finger to ensure that all vitals are in order.

After you’re checked-in and approved from your physical, it’s time to roll the sleeve up and get to donating.

The actual process of getting your blood drawn is fast, only lasting about 5-10 minutes on average to take the pint necessary.

And that pint can go on to save the lives of three people for just 15 minutes of your time, which is why its so important to donate.

“We need your blood,” said Mary Ann Gast, a blood donor specialist for the SBMF. “We need all types of blood every single day. There’s always somebody in need, and if it was somebody in your family, you’d want it to be there.”

After that pint is drawn, it’s taken to an on-site lab to be prepared for testing, by centrifuging the blood, or splitting the plasma from the red blood cell platelets.

And depending on your gender, your blood can help in different ways.

“With males we can make two different types of products,” said Shannon Kreskai, medical lab technician for SBMF.

“We can make red cells, and fresh frozen plasma, all this helps with everyone with clotting factors, when they’re bleeding, traumas, and things like that. Females we don’t make fresh frozen product’s but we turn that over to a company that will turn it into different products like reagents, other things that we need in the process of blood.”

SBMF gets involved heavily in the Michiana area, donating to hospitals all around the area.

If you’re interested in donating the SBMF hosts mobile blood drives or you can visit in person at 3355 Douglas Rd, South Bend, IN.

You must be a minimum of 16 years old and have parental consent to donate.

You can schedule an appointment here.

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