Let’s start with some statistics. Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) treats over 200,000 kids each year and requires at least 12,000 blood donors annually to satisfy its corresponding blood demand. Surprisingly, only 3% of Americans choose to donate blood, even though nearly 50% of the population is capable of doing so. Because we believe in taking small steps that collectively will have a big impact, we decided to try to increase that participation rate (no matter how slight!) by hosting our own drive at the Honest office.
Yesterday, over 50 Honest employees stepped away from our desks to give time (and blood!) to the expert technicians staffing CHLA’s super hi-tech blood donation van. We hugged stuffed animals and sipped on juice boxes as we ignored the prick of the needle and focused on the amount of good that our blood would bring to children in need.
In total, that little bit of discomfort endured during the donation process was worth it! We collected enough blood to help 96 children at CHLA! And almost all of our employees, many of whom were first-time donors, were so energized by the event that they are ready to sign up for the next blood drive this fall. That is what we call success!
Through giving just one unit of blood and 30 minutes of time, each person who participated in our Honest blood drive was directly responsible for saving the lives of 2 children at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. It is amazing to think about the significant impact that just one person can have by doing even the smallest action. (And it was this very thought that gave most of us the courage to face those intimidating needles during the donation!)
So why is giving blood so important? There is not a synthetic substitute. Human blood is the only source and without blood donations, many of these children would have to wait for their transfusions. This blood is essential in the healing process for children with cancer, blood diseases, injuries, and those undergoing surgery. Any delay in treatment due to the unavailability of a matching blood supply can be detrimental to the health and recovery of these patients. Having a generous supply of donors is the only way to guarantee that this uncertainty in supply is removed.
Want to donate blood in your area? Contact your local hospital for details! It is always best to donate directly to a hospital because otherwise the hospitals have to actually purchase the blood elsewhere (often at extremely high prices!) when there is a shortage or rare blood type needed by a patient. If that is not possible, here are some other national resources to find a donation center near you:
We aim to provide you with the most honest and credible information possible. This article was reviewed for accuracy by The Honest Team and was written based on trusted sources that are linked at the bottom of the article.
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