PEORIA, Ill. (Sept. 16, 2013) ? October is Liver Awareness Month, and the American Red Cross reminds eligible donors that organ transplant patients often rely on donated blood products. Liver transplant patients may need 30 or more transfusions during the surgery.
Recently, a liver transplant patient at a hospital served by the Red Cross was treated with more than 75 units of red blood cells, platelets and plasma.
Liver transplants are the second most common transplant, with more than 6,000 performed every year in the U.S. ? and more than 16,000 Americans are currently waiting for a liver transplant, according to the American Liver Foundation.
Ways to protect your liver from disease
There are a variety of ways to help protect your liver from disease. The American Liver Foundation offers these simple tips:
- Maintain a healthy diet low in fatty foods.
- Limit alcohol intake.
- Do not smoke.
- Manage medications appropriately.
- Limit contact with toxins.
- Exercise regularly.
For more information, visit liverfoundation.org.
Please visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS to make an appointment to donate blood or platelets to help patients like these and many others.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities:
Carroll County
Oct. 14 from 12-5 p.m. at Savanna Moose Lodge, 125 Main St. in Savanna, Ill.
Henry County
Oct. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Black Hawk College-East, 26230 Black Hawk Road in Galva, Ill.
Oct. 9 from 2-6 p.m. at First Christian Church, 105 Dwight St. in Kewanee, Ill.
Oct. 14 from 2:30-6 p.m. at Hooppole Community Center, 1404 Washington St. in Hooppole, Ill.
Mercer County
Oct. 3 from 1-6:30 p.m. at Calvary Lutheran Church, 121 N. Meridian St. in New Windsor, Ill.
Oct. 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at VFW Hall, 106 SW Third Ave. in Aledo, Ill.
Whiteside County
Oct. 2 from 2-6 p.m. at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.
Oct. 3 from 9:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. at CGH Medical Center, 100 E. LeFevre Road in Sterling, Ill.
Oct. 8 from 1-6 p.m. at Robert Fulton Community Center, 912 Fourth St. in Fulton, Ill.
Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.
Oct. 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Prophetstown-Lyndon-Tampico CUSD 3, 79 Grove St. in Prophetstown, Ill.
Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Morrison Institute of Technology, 701 Portland in Morrison, Ill.
The need is constant. The gratification is instant. Give blood.®
How to donate blood
Simply call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver's license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. The Red Cross is supported in part through generous financial donations from the United Way. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
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