January is National Blood Donation Month, and the recent cold weather has added an additional strain to an already-low blood supply. Each unit of blood that is donated can save up to three lives, and while approximately 60 percent of the population is eligible to donate blood, fewer than five percent of the eligible public actually donates. Click here to find the location of an upcoming blood drive year you.
To be eligible to donate blood in Illinois, donors must:
- Be 17 years of age or older (16 year-olds may donate with parental consent)
- Be in good health on the day of the donation
- Weigh at least 110 pounds
- Be free of cold and flu symptoms
- Present a photo ID with a birth date
- Not have a history of Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C at any age