Blood Donations Sought During the Season of Giving

Antelope Valley Medical Center encourages community members to help save lives

LANCASTER, Calif. December 9, 2019 — During the holiday season, when most people are wondering what to give someone, Antelope Valley Medical Center (AV Hospital) is asking community members to give a priceless gift: a pint of blood.

The winter months can be the most challenging time of year to collect enough blood donations due to a variety of factors: donors are busy with holiday activities and can’t find the time to donate, inclement weather can prevent people from leaving their homes and some donors could become temporarily ineligible because of seasonal illnesses. Plus, there tends to be an increase in accidents and emergencies, which leads to an increase in demand.

"All blood donations at the Antelope Valley Medical Center Blood Donor Center are used by patients at the hospital. One donation can save the lives of up to three area patients," said Ellen Gaines, blood services representative for AV Hospital. "That means you could be saving the life of a friend, a neighbor, or a family member. By donating a pint of blood, you are truly giving someone another chance at life.”

Donating blood takes about an hour and blood donors during the winter season will receive a free t-shirt.

The AV Hospital Blood Donor Center is located at 44105 15th Street West, Suite 305, in Lancaster. The center is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the first and third Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Center will be closed from December 24 – 26 and December 31 – January 1. It will reopen on January 2, 2020. Walk-ins are welcome or appointments can be made by calling 661-949-5622.

About Antelope Valley Medical Center

Antelope Valley Medical Center, the only full-service, acute-care hospital in the Antelope Valley, has been delivering exceptional care to the community for more than 60 years. It offers the region’s only trauma center, pediatric unit, NICU, inpatient mental health care, labor and delivery, Accredited Chest Pain Center/STEMI Receiving Center, Advanced Primary Stroke Center and Comprehensive Community Cancer Center. More information is available at www.AVMC.org or by calling 661-949-5000. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/antelopevalleyhospital and @antelopevalleyhospital on Instagram.