A Huge Resource
“Blood can save your life in an emergency,” said Dr. Jason Kang, Medical Director in Abbott’s Transfusion business. “If you’re bleeding and have lost a significant amount of blood, the only way to completely replace it in a short amount of time is with someone’s donated blood.”
A single blood donation can save up to three lives.
This is why Abbott and Blood Centers of America are working to make sure there is enough blood on hand so that everyone who needs it has access to it. The need for giving blood is constant, and the need for new and younger donors is especially important. During the last decade, blood donations from donors age 30 and younger have dropped by more than 30%.
“Let’s be honest, needle sticks are no fun for anyone, regardless of your age,” said Kang. “We recognized that in many cases the negative donation experience is related to the needle stick and can be a deterrent to first-time and repeat donation.”
In an effort to attract a new generation of blood donors, Abbott and Blood Centers of America launched the new mixed reality experience that we mentioned earlier. This innovation allows donors to enter a digital world while safely donating, using only their eyes to plant seeds in a whimsical garden as a way to make the donation process more fun and relaxing.
It certainly beats having blood taken out by one of the Bloodsuckers on display at the Field Museum through Sept. 2, 2024.
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