*This content was created in partnership with The Blood Connection.

Happy Friday, Asheville. Mary here. 👋 Last week, I took a break from the office and donated a pint of blood at Blood Connection’s new Asheville location. The center opened last month on Airport Rd. in Arden. It features a modern waiting area, sparkling new check-in rooms and a whole snack bar. But, that’s all on the surface. It’s what happens in the chair + behind the scenes that make the difference.

The Blood Connection is an Upstate S.C. + WNC non-profit with the mission of supporting healthcare partners with “adequate, safe, cost-effective blood supplies and services.” Here in WNC, blood donations go directly to Mission Health including Mission Memorial and Blue Ridge Regional, plus Park Ridge Hospital. That means that donations stay right in the community and help heal our very own neighbors.

DYK: More than 15 million pints of blood are transfused in the U.S. each year, and every 2 seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood? Less than 10% of the population donates blood – Which is only good for 42 days. So, donors are needed every day to ensure a stable blood supply.

Whole blood is made up of 3 part. Red cells deliver oxygen, platelets help control bleeding, and plasma carries blood cells. All 3 can be donated, and are used in medical situations to keep a patient alive. For example, a heart surgery takes 6 units of blood + 6 units of platelets. An organ transplant uses 40 units of blood, 30 units of platelets + 25 units of plasma. A car accident patient might use up to 50 units of blood. The kicker? A person only has 10-12 units in them. So, they can only donate 1 unit (a.k.a pint) every 8 weeks. That means the Blood Connection must screen between 550-600 people a day for blood, platelet, plasma and double red cell units to ensure a stable blood supply.

That seems like (and is) a lot of donations needed. But, I was surprised at how quick and efficient the process was.

Here’s my experience donating with The Blood Connection –

📅 First, I booked a slot via their online calendar, which are available between 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Mon. – Fri. and 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sat + Sun. Walk-ins are also welcome. 👌

📲 Next, I filled out an online information form. You can do this in person as well, but the 10 min. questionnaire is built to save you time at the center.

📧 The day before my appointment, I received an email reminder.

🚘 The day of the appointment, I made sure to drink extra water + eat a solid lunch. It took me about 25 minutes to get from my office in the RAD to the South Asheville location.

✏ The intake process took about 20 minutes, and included a health history questionnaire, plus getting my blood pressure and temperature taken. They asked about my travels abroad in the last 3 years. I traveled to Thailand for two weeks last year and had no issue. (A donor will be deferred if they’ve had malaria in the past 3 years or has lived in a malarial region within the past 5 consecutive years).

I also have tattoos and am eligible to donate. If you’ve gotten a tattoo in the last year, they’ll just ask if it was at a licensed shop + if so, you’ll be fine! If it was a stick-and-poke tattoo, you’ll need to wait a year. All U.S. blood collection organizations are also held to the same national requirements.

💉 Next, I was brought to a reclined chair, where the donation process started. It takes about 10 minutes to get a unit of blood, and under regulation, the donation must be completed within 15 minutes. During this time, I scrolled Twitter + chatted with the phlebotomist.

🍪 Afterward, I hung out in the waiting area for 5 minutes, had some water + a snack to make sure I felt fine before leaving. The aftercare instructions include drinking extra water, eating some extra iron in the next days, and avoiding intense exercise for 48 hours.

🎟 Bonus: Donors can pick from rewards. During my time, this included either a $20 Chick-Fil-A gift card or two movie tickets. Donors can also rack up extra perks through the TBC Rewards Program.

Have questions about donating? This FAQ page will likely answer some questions. Plus, TBC has a team of donation specialists that can help answer anything else. Contact them here.

Donating with TBC was an easy and fast way to help make a difference in my local community. Plus, businesses can bring TBC to them by hosting a workplace drive. The first time I donated, it was during a similar drive during high school 🙌.

While donating blood is vital for health all over the world, it’s special that TBC blood supports the health and healing of the WNC community directly. Get involved + donate yourself here.