If you are a current blood donor there is an extra special gift you can give to help save or improve the lives of even more patients. You can become a platelet donor.
Platelets are a type of blood cell that is essential for blood clotting. Patients with serious medical problems, such as leukemia and cancer, often receive platelets as do premature babies whose clotting system may not be fully functional.
Platelets are collected through a process called apheresis, where your blood is passed through a special cell-separating machine. This special type of donation takes about one hour. You can donate platelets more frequently than Whole Blood. Platelets can be donated every 2 weeks, up to 24 times a year.
