How Many Lives Have You Saved?
Crown’s own Randy Plaugher could say he’s saved approximately 486 lives. Randy has been giving blood about five times per year since 1982 and recently received his 20th Gallon Donation pin from the Red Cross.
Nearly 4.5 million Americans would die each year without life saving blood transfusions. Approximately 32,000 pints of blood are used each day in the United States. Just one pint of donated blood can help save as many as three people’s lives.
Blood Facts & Statistics
+ Every two-seconds someone in the US needs blood.
+ Approximately 36,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day in the US.
+ Nearly 7,000 units of platelets and 10,000 units of plasma are needed daily in the US.
+ Nearly 21 million blood components are transfused each year in the US
+ The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints.
+ The blood type most often requested by hospitals is type O.
+ The blood used in an emergency is already on the shelves before the event occurs.
+ It is estimated that sickle cell disease affects 90,000 to 100,000 people in the US. About 1,000 babies are born with the disease each year. Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives.
+ More than 1.68 million people are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2016. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.
+ A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood.
Randy donates on average every eight weeks in Wapakoneta, Ohio. He says donating has become somewhat of a ritual over the years, donating after work before arriving home — sacrificing 45 minutes of precious family time to possibly save three lives every time he donates. He has become very familiar with the nurses and knows them by name. If you ask Randy why he is so committed his response could very well be “I do it for the cookies!”. All joking aside, he knows the value and importance of what he is giving and how many lives can be saved by his small sacrifice. Randy also shared his greatest joy — his duplicity. His son and daughter follow in their father’s footsteps and give blood on a regular basis.
Thank you Randy – you are an everyday hero!