Donate blood and get a bonus

Blood. It’s literally the lifeblood of, well, life. (Funny how that works.) And if you’re ever in an accident, need surgery or have to have treatment for cancer, you may well need to rely on the blood of others to “keep livin’ man, L-I-V-I-N,” as they say. That’s why donating blood is so important. And now you can even get a side benefit and satisfy your hankerin’ for a-knowing if you’ve got COVID-19 antibodies a-flowing through your body. During National Blood Donor month (January), and while supplies last, the Oklahoma Blood Institute will test your sweet red stuff for antibodies from natural infection and vaccination. Plus, you usually get a cookie or something, and all those “blood donor” t-shirts you see folks wearing gotta be coming from somewhere, so there’s that too.

You can schedule an appointment at obi.org or call 877-340-8777 to give blood at any number of donor centers. Find yourself far away from a center? There are plenty of opportunities to donate blood throughout the OKC metro over the next 30 days – easily more than 100, in fact. To do a quick search, just hit this link from the Oklahoma Blood Institute to find a blood drive location that works for you.

Curious about your eligibility? The FDA recently revised its rules pertaining to who should and shouldn’t give blood (you’re in luck, unlicensed tattoo or piercing recipients and Mad Cow Disease at-riskers).

“We’re excited to see the FDA use the latest scientific data to adjust deferral criteria, allowing us to welcome back many donors,” said John Armitage, M.D., president and CEO of Oklahoma Blood Institute. “Many donors who have previously been unable to give are now able to support the community blood supply that patients so desperately count on to recover from trauma, fight cancer, undergo surgery or battle life-threatening diseases.”

According to the OBI, “diabetes, high blood pressure or thyroid disease are often not obstacles to giving blood. Donors who have received the COVID-19 vaccine (Moderna or Pfizer) face no waiting time before giving blood or platelets.” For more info, you can call OBI’s hotline at 405-419-1538 for eligibility questions or hit up their FAQ at obi.org/blood-donation/can-i-donate  for more.