Who Your Blood Helps

The Community Blood Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania and Western New York is the predominant supplier of blood to hospitals in Erie, Elk, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Tioga, Warren and Venango counties in Northwestern Pennsylvania as well as the preferred supplier to Allegany and Chautauqua counties in Western New York. Each time you donate, your donation will be used to help a patient (or patients) in a local hospital in one of the counties we serve.

Wondering how your one donation can impact three lives? Well, your blood is made up of 3 major components, which can be separated and used to help different types of patients in need:

Red Blood Cells are the cells that transport oxygen to your body’s tissues. These are most commonly used for surgeries and traumas. Red blood cells are also used to treat anemia, an example of which is an iron deficiency.

Platelets are particles that are the essential component for blood to clot normally. Cancer patients are the main recipients of platelets. 20% of all blood products collected by CBB go to cancer patients.

Plasma is the third component in blood. It is a liquid containing a variety of proteins, the most significant being the clotting factors. Clotting factors in the plasma help to promote normal coagulation and also to help control active bleeding. Patients who use plasma are typically surgical patients, trauma patients, burn victims, heart patients and patients with liver failure.