Kevin Buckwalter studied zoology and pre-medicine at the
University of Nevada, Reno. During his time at the school, Kevin
Buckwalter worked with the American Red Cross during blood donations.
Donating
blood to the American Red Cross is an easy, yet critically important
way to give back to a community. There are, however, a few requirements
donors must fulfill before giving blood. A person must meet a certain
standard of health, which necessarily rules out any individual with a
communicable disease or virus. The average donor must be at least 17
years of age and weigh more than 110 pounds. Double red cell donors must
meet more exact height and weight strictures; males must measure at 61
inches and 130 pounds, while females should be a minimum 65 inches and
150 pounds. For those who have already been approved as a donor and
given blood, platelets, plasma, or double red cells, a period of time
must pass before they are eligible to donate again. Blood donors, for
example, can only donate once every 56 days. Individuals can easily make
a blood donation appointment online at the American Red Cross website,
where they simply need to enter their name and address in order to
locate the nearest blood drive or donation site.
