American Red Cross Expands Eligibility for Power Red Donations Through April

If you haven’t been able to make red power donations to the American Red Cross before, that may change with the expansion of eligible blood types.

In a recent interview on KVOE’s Morning Show, Red Cross spokesperson Susan Farrar said the Red Cross, like many other companies, faces supply chain problems. For this reason, the agency has chosen to expand the list of eligible blood types for Power Red donations.

Unlike whole blood donations, in which all “blood products” (red blood cells, plasma, and platelets) are collected, Power Red donations only collect red blood cells, and the plasma and platelets are returned to the donor, Faler said.

Previously, the only eligible blood types for Power Red were O-negative, O-positive, A-negative, and B-negative. The Red Cross now welcomes donations from residents with A-positive and B-positive blood types, Faler said.

Donations of A-positive and B-positive blood types will be accepted until April. A big advantage of powering red blood donations, Faler said, is that donors lose less “fluid” than regular whole blood donations.

If you would like to make an appointment to donate blood, please visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS to learn more about upcoming blood donation efforts.