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VALLEY — Two donor recruiters for LifeSouth Community Blood Centers were guest speakers at the Monday meeting of the Valley Lions Club. Maxine Bailey and Melody Weaver cover the East Alabama region.

They told members of the club that the region’s blood supply is running low and that there’s an urgent need for people to donate.

“We want you to know that blood that’s donated to LifeSouth will stay in this region and go to hospitals like the East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika and EAMC-Lanier Hospital in Valley. Any time you donate blood you may be helping save someone’s life. One pint of blood can save as many as three lives.”

Bailey added that the average person can donate blood once every 56 days.

Bailey explained that the entire process of giving blood takes only about 30 minutes. It starts with registration.

Then there’s an interview and a physical, donor prep, the donation and a period to relax.

“The first and foremost reason for giving is that you will be helping to save someone’s life,” she said. “Blood is the one thing that can’t be manufactured. The hospitals depend solely on us.”

To give blood, an individual must be at least 17 years of age or older (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds and have a valid ID.

There are some medical reasons that will prevent a person from giving blood. That will be found out during the interview questionnaire.

There are three types of blood donations. The most common is whole blood. It usually takes an estimated 30 minutes to do this.

This blood is often used for emergencies and traumas.

“Double red is where two units of blood are collected,” Bailey said. “This takes from 45 to 50 minutes and can save as many as six lives. You can donate this amount every 112 days.”

The third type of donation is called platelets and plasma.

With this, the donated blood goes through a process known as apheresis, which separates the blood to be used to help cancer patients, people with severe clotting issues and those with blood vessel leakage.

This type of donation may take up to two hours to complete. Platelets can be donated every seven days and plasma every four weeks.

“We have fallen in love with what we do,” Weaver said.

“We like to spread the message that the blood we collect stays in the local area. I hope all of you realize the importance of giving blood. It helps save lives.”

Weaver said the blood that’s collected by LifeSouth first goes to Montgomery for routine testing.

It’s then sent out to hospitals nearest the site where it was donated. Blood donated in the Greater Valley Area typically goes to EAMC, EAMC-Lanier and WellStar West Georgia in LaGrange.

“Kroger in Lanett is one of our great spots,” Weaver said. “We are there a lot. We go to a lot of the local manufacturing plants in this area. We also go to local churches. We will be at Walmart in Valley on August 30th and at Lanett High in October.”

People can donate at a mobile drive or at the LifeSouth Center, which is located at 505 East Thomason Circle, behind EAMC in Opelika.

It’s open from 9 a.m. till 7 p.m. CDT on Mondays and Thursdays, 9-5 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9-3 on Saturdays and from noon till 5 on Sundays. Call (334) 705-0884 for further information.

“We hope we have said something to you tonight to make each of you realize the importance of donating blood,” Bailey said. “It does save lives. We would love to partner with local civic clubs in future blood drives.”