Types of Donations

Save a life today. Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.

Someone in your community will need blood today. A new mother facing complications during delivery. A child battling sickle cell disease. A grandfather undergoing open heart surgery. A co-worker injured in a car accident. The American Red Cross Blood Services, New York-Penn Region distributes approximately 2,000 units of blood daily to area hospitals. This life-saving process wouldn't be possible without the generosity of volunteer blood donors. Donating blood is usually safe, easy and quick.

Your community relies on the generosity and dedication of people like you to ensure that lifesaving blood is available to hospitals and patients when it is needed. Please consider giving blood now and in the future.

There are different types of blood donation, all of which help save lives...

Allogeneic, Whole Blood Donation
A whole blood or allogeneic blood donation is the most frequent type of blood donation. Donors give whole blood donations at American Red Cross donor rooms or a sponsored blood drive. The entire process, from check-in to cookies and juice, usually takes about an hour. Donors can safely give blood every 56 days. To find a blood drive near you, click here. Or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE to schedule an appointment to give.

Double Red Cell (Automated) Donation
A double red cell donation is an advanced, automated technology that allows the Red Cross to collect two units of red blood cells from one qualified donor in one sitting. Unlike a whole blood donation, donors give only red blood cells, not the plasma component. During this automated donation, donors actually lose a lower volume of blood from their bodies than with a whole blood donation. To qualify as a double red cell donor, men must be at least 5’1” and weigh at least 150 pounds, and women must be at least 5’5” and weigh at least 175 pounds. The donor deferral period between donations is 112 days, twice as long as a whole blood donation, so donors can only give up to three times per year. To schedule an appointment for a double red cell donation, click here or call (888) 588-2RED.

Click here for more information about Double Red Cell donations

Platelet/Plasma donations
More information

Autologous Blood Donation
When a patient donates blood for himself or herself, that's an autologous blood donation. The patient's physician prescribes an autologous blood donation for use in elective surgery. Autologous donation is only suitable for patients who are relatively healthy and who are anticipating a scheduled surgery for which their physicians say a blood transfusion is likely. Because the vast majority of patients who need blood transfusions are not suitable autologous donors, there is still no substitute for the voluntarily donated community blood supply. For more information about autologous blood donation, speak to your physician or call 1-800-634-9069.

Directed Blood Donation
Most patients who need a blood transfusion are not in a position to choose their own blood donors. In these cases, patients can be sure that the Red Cross takes extensive measures to make sure the community blood supply is as safe as possible. However, some patients who anticipate having surgery or a planned transfusion may want to choose their blood donors. When an autologous blood donation is not an option, patients can have their family and friends who are the same blood type donate blood for them, a procedure called a directed blood donation. For more information about directed blood donation, speak to your physician or call 1-800-634-9069.

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