Hawthorn Mall to Host '12 Hours of Giving' Blood Drive December 21
The holiday season is widely considered the most wonderful time of the year, but for those in need of blood transfusions, bone marrow transplants, or receiving treatment for cancer or other life-threatening illnesses, it can be the most worrisome time of the year.
Because the number of blood donations between Thanksgiving and Christmas traditionally dip to low levels on a national scale, it's important that those who are eligible make an appointment to donate blood in order to ensure that area hospitals have an adequate supply on hand.
Fortunately, Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills is doing its part by hosting its 3rd annual '12 Hours of Giving' Blood Drive with Vitalant (formerly LifeSource), on Saturday, December 21, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
To schedule an appointment, visit vitalant.org, log in, scroll down to search by Group Code 179B or call (877) 25-VITAL. In addition to blood donations, participants will be able to join the national bone marrow registry, Be the Match, and offer a chance to help thousands of men, women and children in the U.S. who are battling life-threatening diseases.
All presenting donors will receive a special edition Vitalant holiday themed T-shirt and will be entered into a raffle drawing featuring prizes from various Mall stores. In preparation for their donation, donors are asked to eat well, stay hydrated and arrive with proper identification. The donation appointment takes about an hour (with the donation itself only around ten minutes) and is both safe and comfortable.
Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. That's why it's so important to continuously replenish the supply. Blood has a shelf life of 42 days for red blood cells and just five days for platelets. Although an estimated 38 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate, less than 10 percent do. And even with scientific advances being made in laboratories across the world every day, there still remains no substitute for blood.
Your Support Helps Kids Like James
For persons like 3-year-old James McCarthy of Chicago, blood donations are invaluable. Last summer, James was diagnosed with a type of leukemia so rare that it affects just 1 in 1,000,000 children each year. James received a bone marrow transplant and more than 150 units of blood during his treatments. Today, James is doing well. Earlier this month, his family worked with Vitalant and hosted a two-day blood drive near their home in Chicago's Lake View neighborhood.