Donate Blood

Blood and Tissue Donation Is the Gift of Life

Some information about blood, organ and tissue donation and about how you can become a donor - how you can give the gift of life . . .

Every minute of every day, someone needs blood. That blood can only come from a volunteer donor, a person like you who makes the choice to donate. There is no substitute for your donation. 

When you make a blood donation, you join a very select group. Currently only 3 out of every 100 people in America donate blood.

There are more than 87,000 persons on the national transplant waiting list.  About 50% are minorities including:

More than 25,000 African Americans

More than 11,000 Latinos

More than 4,000 Asian Pacific Americans

Sixteen people die each day waiting for life saving transplants. A new name is added to the national waiting list every 16 minutes.  African Americans comprise more than 26% of the total transplant waiting list although they represent just 12% of the U.S. population.  In Illinois, African Americans are 15% of the population, but make up more than 35% of the state's transplant waiting list.

LifeSource Blood Services

OrganDonor.gov