Donated 3 units of platelets today at Stanford's Blood Center. They are probably already on their way to a human who needs them over the next day or two.
Usually it's 2 units unless they have a need. The 3rd unit adds about 20-30 min overall to the collection time.
Donate if you can. #blooddonation #donateblood #platelets
🥂 Our paper on platelet-derived integrin- and tetraspanin-enriched tethers (PITTs) is now out in Science 🧬🩸
🔬 Non-activated #platelets shed αIIbβ3-rich tethers that amplify #inflammation while impairing platelet function.
🥳 Huge thanks to all co-authors for an amazing team effort. 🙏
Nearly 50,000 people have registered to #donateblood & #plasma, more than double the previous Lifeblood record.
The agency said a total of 7,810 donations of blood, plasma & #platelets were made yesterday across #Australia.
Lifeblood is urging people to continue booking appointments for donations through the week & the rest of the holiday season. #auspol
[it shouldn’t take a terrorist attack to inspire people to donate blood. It should be something we ALL do routinely. Ditto organ donation]
Research has proven frozen #blood #platelets are safe and effective to use on critically injured patients – a breakthrough dramatically extending their shelf life for transfusions from one week to two years.
#Medical #sflorg
https://www.sflorg.com/2025/12/med12092501.html
“She’s our Christmas miracle”: Ammanford family urges blood donors this winter
Hannah’s fight for survival
Hannah Poole from Ammanford was just three when she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in 2013. After months of chemotherapy, her family thought the worst was behind them. But five years later, the cancer returned.
To survive, Hannah needed countless transfusions of red blood cells and platelets to keep her strong enough for treatment. Now 15, she’s fully recovered and looking forward to spending Christmas at home.
A playful holiday snapshot — a lighter side of a season once spent in hospital corridors.“I love Christmas. It’s my favourite time of year, even when I was unwell,” Hannah said. “I want to say a huge thank you to every single blood and platelet donor in Wales. Because of you, I get to make more Christmas memories with my family.”
A father’s 230 donations
Her dad Adam became a platelet donor after Hannah’s first diagnosis. Since then, he’s made more than 230 donations — each one involving a 100‑mile round trip.
“Christmas is special for most families,” Adam said. “But for us, it means everything. We never forget that Hannah wouldn’t be here without the generosity of blood and platelet donors.”
Mum Katrina added:
Adam Poole has made more than 230 platelet donations since Hannah’s diagnosis, each one a 100‑mile round trip.“When you donate, you give the ultimate gift — time together. Without you, we wouldn’t have Hannah. It saved us as a family.”
Why donations matter now
The Welsh Blood Service say they need more than 21,000 donations over the winter to meet demand across the 19 hospitals it supplies. Around 70% of these help patients like Hannah who are fighting cancer and blood disorders.
Platelets are especially vital — but they only last seven days, meaning the need is constant. Stem cell donations can also be the best, sometimes only, chance of survival for patients with blood cancers.
“Seeing is believing”
Last Christmas, Adam received a text message confirming his donation had reached a hospital. He was one of 126 donors to get that message on Christmas Day.
“We were sat on the sofa after dinner, already feeling grateful,” Katrina said. “Adam looked at his phone and was in awe.”
Four relatives in festive red, all smiles — the picture the Poole family once wondered if they’d get to take.“I couldn’t believe it,” Adam added. “We’ve received so many gifts that gave us more Christmases with Hannah. To think I might be doing the same for someone else was overwhelming.”
Call to action
Alan Prosser, Director of the Welsh Blood Service, said:
“Stories like Hannah’s remind us why donations matter. Without blood and platelet donors, we can’t have happy endings like this. Winter is one of the most challenging times for the NHS. That’s why we’re asking people to come forward and donate with us.”
You can book a blood donation at wbs.wales/xmas25 or find out more at wbs.wales/SeeingIsBelieving2526.
Related stories on Swansea Bay News
Council chief exec urges blood donations
Martin Nicholls received lifesaving transfusions during a cancer battle and now calls for more donors.
Swansea father saves son with stem cells
A local dad was a perfect match for his child’s rare blood disorder, showing the power of stem cell donation.
Donation rules updated in Wales
Landmark changes lift restrictions and widen access to eligible donors.
More blood donation coverage
Explore our latest reporting on blood donation across Swansea Bay.
#acuteLymphoblasticLeukaemia #ammanford #bloodDonor #chemotherapy #leukaemia #platelets #redBloodCells #walesBloodService #welshBloodService
Are there antigens on other blood cells as well? #antigen #bloodcells #platelets #bloodtransfusion
... Continue to: https://youtube.com/shorts/1xbVOl_5iKk?si=vWRPQ9bwV2htBSSK
I've reached my ruby donor milestone! Register to donate at: https://my.blood.co.uk/badge/m100?
#blood #blooddonors #platelets #plateletdonation
Thrombocytes (platelets): normal values and causes of their increase/decrease in blood #platelets
... Continue to: https://youtube.com/shorts/d9iKQAlmqxs?si=BnLrgUJVcsKx0DAj
Donated #platelets today for the first time in a while. I used to do this more often, but my doctor was worried about my iron levels, so I had to go down to doing this once a quarter.
It's also kinda wild to watch the counter increase by hundreds of billions.
I donated about 2 hours and gave 2 units of #platelets out of my blood yesterday during a routine #blooddonation at #standordbloodcenter again. It was my 230th all time donation and 9th donation of the year.
Started to read _The Flipside_ by Michelle "Mace" Curran. She was an Air Force F16 and Thunderbird pilot (the PR/demo team). Fascinating read - she overcame a ton of crap.
as usual, I don't have time to do any real reading or thinking, but
hypocapnia is a common finding in POTS and ME/CFS , and when I was looking on Bluesky to see if someone had already posted about this article, a post on this one came up -
Carbon dioxide alleviates platelet storage lesions via stimulating fatty acid metabolism and reducing platelet glucose consumption
https://www.rpthjournal.org/article/S2475-0379(25)00005-6/fulltext
Feeling weak or low on #platelets?
Boost your blood naturally with a green powerhouse!
How to Make:
Boil 2 cups spinach leaves in 1½ cups water just for 2–3 mins
Blend with 2 garlic cloves and a pinch of black pepper
Simmer again for 1 minute without overboiling
🧄 Bonus Tip:👇
Do #platelets simply run out of ubiquitin towards the end of their lifespan?
Metastatic Matchmaking: CD24 Brings Tumour Cells and Platelets Together
Check out this excellent #preLight from Harvey Roweth, which includes answers and future directions from the authors of the preprint. ⬇️
If you know, you know...thank you
If you don't know, please ask
#Blood #Platelets #BloodDonor #BloodDonation #RedCross #AmericanRedCross
I donated platelets again yesterday. I remain in a four week rotation. Lifetime donation number 223.
My blood is normal AFAIK. Stories like this Australian donor who recently passed show the absolute nobility of being able to save a life. Or a couple million lives. With just a blood donation. It's not hard.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y4xqe60gyo
#donateblood #platelets #donateplatelets #blooddonation #plateletdonation
According to the website, today was going to be my 200th successful donation (out of 201 tries). According to their computers, this is only donation 199. Bummer. Next time.
In Spain, platelets are called tapas.
Adventures In Volunteering: What It’s Like To Donate Platelets
So you want to know what it's like to donate platelets instead of whole blood? Welcome!
If not, or if you hate needles, here's a pretty bird.
First, why do I donat
https://thecareyadventures.com/blog/adventures-in-volunteering-what-its-like-to-donate-platelets/
#PhotoOfTheDay #SomethingReallyCool #Volunteering #BloodDonation #donation #PhotoOfTheDay #PlateletDonation #Platelets #RedCross #volunteer #volunteering
