Longtime blood donor Caitlin Pollard gives at a recent American Red Cross blood drive in Northern Virginia.
By: Josh Davis, Red Cross volunteer
Each day, the American Red Cross must collect around 12,500 blood donations nationwide – including more than 370/day in the DMV area – to provide lifesaving treatment to accident victims, cancer and sickle cell patients, and others facing urgent medical needs. Despite 62% of Americans being eligible to donate blood, only about 3% actually do.
One such dedicated donor is Caitlin Pollard, a 10-gallon blood donor from Northern Virginia. Inspired by her family’s commitment to the Red Cross, Pollard began giving blood when she was just 16.
“It's something that I always knew I wanted to be part of,” she said. “I started donating blood pretty regularly, even back in high school.”
She also found inspiration in a close friend, who advocated for blood donations and organized blood drives at their high school before she tragically passed away in a car accident.
“She was very much an advocate,” Pollard said. “After her death, it became a way to show support for her, and to keep her memory alive in that way.”
Pollard said donating is easy, and it’s something she now does four or five times each year.
“You’re in and out in a couple of minutes and on your way,” she said. “That's led me into feeling confident in other methods of donating as well, so I've done Power Red donations that are the double donations, and I do those as frequently as I can as well to be able to give that bigger impact.”
She’s also inspired by knowing where her donations go, often receiving messages from the Red Cross about her blood’s local impact.
“I love getting the notes from the Red Cross, a couple weeks after you donated, on where your blood went and what impact it had,” she said. “It's always stayed fairly local, so it’s great knowing that I'm truly helping my community.”
After each donation, Pollard posts on social media, encouraging others to join her.
“It's been really touching for me, seeing the number of my friends and family who have reached out and shared their own stories,” she said. “Some have reached out and said they needed blood transfusions in their past, and I hadn't known that part of their story. It's been really empowering to hear from real people that I know of how blood donations have saved their lives.”
For those on the fence about donating, Pollard has simple advice: just give it a try.
“Knowing that you're able to make this impact in your community, to literally help save lives, is such a great feeling,” she said.
She praised the Red Cross staff, noting that they always put new donors at ease.
“If you tell them that you're nervous, or if you’re a first-time donor, they’ll explain the process and every step [the donor] is taking. It's worth that try, because it's just a little discomfort for five minutes and you're helping save a life,” she said.
Donating has never been easier, with technology like the Red Cross Blood Donor App and the Amazon Alexa Blood skill providing convenient ways for donors to manage appointments and stay informed about their impact.
To learn more or to schedule a donation, visit RedCrossBlood.org.
“Knowing that you're able to make this impact in your community, to literally help save lives, is such a great feeling ... it's just a little discomfort for five minutes and you're helping save a life."
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