Benefits of Autologous Blood Donation When Having Surgery

One of the earliest attempts at blood transfusion was chronicled in 1492 when Pope Innocent VIII, while in a comatose state was infused with blood from three young boys. The blood from the boys was infused into the Pope through the mouth and it was noted that the fate of the Pope and that of the boys was grim. According to the chronicles, there were no survivors from this first attempt at transfusing blood from one individual (or in this case, individuals) to another.

Thank goodness, modern medicine has progressed further than in the days of 1492. It was in the early part of the 19th century that progress in blood donation and transfusion really began to advance.

Now days there are two different types of donations for the use in blood transfusions. These blood transfusion/donation types are known as Allogeneic or Homologous transfusions and Autologous transfusion.

* Allogeneic is a transfusion of blood that has been taken and stored from a donor and transfused into that of a different recipient.

* Autologous is the donation and transfusion of blood which comes from and is given to the same person.

For the purpose of this article, we will focus on the latter.

Just what is an autologous blood donation?

An autologous blood donation is when you donate your blood for it to be stored in case you should need a blood transfusion. In other words, it is donating your own blood for your own use. It is in contrast to an allogeneic blood donation in which a volunteer donates blood to be deposited into a blood bank.

When would I make an autologous donation?

Autologous donations are typically made prior to your having surgery, particularly if it is a surgery that often requires a blood transfusion such as a cardiac surgery. The shelf life of donated blood, which is 42 days, should be taken into consideration when scheduling an autologous donation.

What are the benefits of an autologous donation?

There are many benefits of autologous blood donation. One benefit is the guaranteed acceptance of the blood by your body. You know for certain that your body will accept your own blood since, obviously, the blood type is a perfect match. Another benefit is that blood will be available for you. With recent blood bank shortages, it is nice to know that you have stored away blood for yourself should you need it. A huge benefit is that with autologous blood donation there is no risk of contracting a transmitted disease. Even though the blood donated through allogeneic donations is rigidly screened, there is a peace of mind in knowing where the blood that is given to you comes from. Of course, these are only a few of the many benefits associated with autologous blood donation.

How do I prepare for an autologous blood donation?

You should prepare for an autologous blood donation the same way that you would prepare for an allogeneic blood donation. For example, on the day you plan to make the donation, eat a substantial breakfast and drink plenty of fluids. Also, wear a short-sleeved shirt. After donation, do not plan any strenuous activity, particularly any heavy lifting, for 24 hours.

Are there any risks involved in an autologous donation?

There are only a few risks involved in autologous blood donation, other than the ones such as potential dizziness and fatigue during the actual donation. One risk is that the blood could be mislabeled or mishandled in the storage and transport process. This risk can be reduced by your own diligence in observing the technician who processes the donated blood. Another risk is that you could be given an unnecessary blood transfusion simply because the supply is available. Finally, while it is not a risk, there is the monetary cost of donation and storage of the blood. Typically there is no insurance coverage for autologous blood donations. These are the main risks involved in an autologous blood donation. You doctor can advise you if there are any risks specific to your situation.

What happens to the donated blood if I don't need it during my surgery?

If you do not use the blood that you have donated for yourself, it may be deposited into the general blood bank. Sometimes, though, the unused blood donated in an autologous blood donation is disposed of because the restrictions on autologous blood donations are typically less strict than those for allogeneic blood donations.

When you are preparing to have surgery talk with your doctor about Autologous blood donation and the many benefits of donating your own blood.

Car Donation - A Meaningful Charity

Extending support for the underprivileged members of our society, exhibits our symbolic attribute towards charity. Our small contribution to charity can bring about a significant change in the lives of some of our deprived fellow beings. Car donation is a form of charity which has the efficacy to substantially transform the lives of many disadvantageous people, who require our help. Charity through car donation actually translates into resources that fulfill the basic needs of thousands of unfortunate people, who expect our support. It not only gives us an opportunity to contribute our used asset towards the welfare of human society, but also gives us a chance to disburse our responsibility towards our fellow human beings.

Many non-profit organizations across the globe are engaged in carrying out various charitable car donation programs. Although, it signifies an effective means of charity, but it is obvious for donors to be skeptical about various programs. The donated cars are either sold or auctioned out by various charity organizations, for the purpose of raising money for their charities. In order to ensure that a reasonable proportion of money reaches for the worthy cause of charity, a car donor should ascertain the credibility of the chosen car donation program. Car donations are qualified for tax deduction, thus a donor can claim the requisite tax deductions for his or her donation, at the time of substantiating tax returns.

Various charities are involved in executing socially significant programs, which cover the spheres of health, education, environment etc. Some charities are engaged in supporting the impoverished children by providing them food, shelter, clothing and education. Vehicle donations throughout the world help such organizations to effectuate their activities. Before participating in a vehicle donation program, the donor should carefully choose the type of charity he or she needs to advocate. A discreetly chosen car donation program would certainly ensure that the donor's money reaches to the charity desired by him.

Significance of car donation programs can be understood by the fact, that they not only support various charitable activities, but also ascertain remarkable tax benefits. Money raised through these donation programs actually formulate into resources which enable the effective functioning of many charities across the world. It is our social obligation to come forward and participate in donation programs to support the welfare of human society. We should always remember that our small contribution in terms of vehicle donation can bring about a paradigm shift in the lives of thousands of underprivileged members of our society, who invariably need our help and support.

Some online resources for Car Donations are as follows:

o Best Car Donation Program
With the Car Donation Program from Best Car Donation you can donate a car, donate a vehicle, donate autos, donate your used car and old cars to charity to fulfill the needs of children all across the country. For Online Auto Donation, Automobile Donation, Used Automobile Donation and Vehicle Donation from your state call them at 1-800-688-0899 or email at info@bestcardonation.org


o Vehicle Donation Center
DONATE CARS TO CHARITY TODAY. BBB A Rating. By donating your used car, truck, van, boat or RV donations, you will help your favorite charity and receive a tax deduction with your donation
o America's Vehicle Donation Center
Donate your car truck RV or boat. Fast, free, and tax deductible. Find hundreds of respected car donation charities and donate your car online or call us toll-free seven days a week
o Online Auto Donation
Auto donation charity - Donate car Free vacation Maximum IRS Tax Deduction. Donate car free towing. Vehicle Donation
Praveen Raghuwanshi has worked as an Expert Columnist for leading dailies like Times of India, Economic Times & New York Times (Online Editorial Board). He has served Bank of America as a Senior Risk Management & Fraud Detection Analyst. He is an ace Business Review Expert and his invaluable insights on various topics encompassing Finance, Biotechnology, IT, Share Market, Business Analysis, Marketing, Macro & Micro Economics have been approved and published on leading Information Portals across the Internet.

11 Keys to Donation Pages That Work

If only online fundraising were as simple as adding a donate button to your site! But it's not. You need great stories-and great writing and media on your website to showcase those stories. But you already knew that-you know that people need to be inspired by your work before they'll click that donate button.

Yet, you have to get people to visit your site first or that donate button is useless. And before you do even that, your site's donate button-and donation form-has to be designed in such a way that, once inspired, people will follow through with the donation. Great stories, emotional writing and amazing media are not enough to get people to complete the donation process if your donate button is hidden, or your donation page a confusing mess. Here are 11 tips to help you optimize your website's donate page and button for maximum impact.

Donate Button: Be Seen & Clicked

If you want people to donate, you've got to make it easy for them. If people can't find your donate button, how can they help? If they have to work to give you money, chances are they won't.

Use clear language on your button like Donate Now or Give Now. This isn't the place for vague calls to action-even "Support Us" isn't strong enough, as that could be anything: volunteer, planned giving, in-kind donations. Nor is it the time for polite hedging. Just say no to phrases like please consider, think about or why not give... Be forward. Make it absolutely clear what you want people to do.
Include your donate button on every page, not just the home page. Did you know that a large chunk of people don't enter your site from the homepage? If your donate button only lives there, how many of the people who visit your site will never see it?
Place your donate button above the fold, in the upper right corner. The upper right corner is the most valuable "call to action" area on a website-an ideal location for your donate button. If your site uses side navigation, list the Donate button first.
Use a larger size and contrasting color to make your donate button stand out. The human eye adjusts to different viewing environments with amazing speed-causing things to be easily filtered. If your donate button blends in with everything else on your site, people will miss it. Be bold. Make it bigger. Make it colorful.
What the heck does "Above the Fold" mean? It refers to the area of a webpage that can be seen without scrolling. Of course there's no fold in your computer screen-the term is borrowed from the newspaper industry where the most important stories are placed on the front page above the fold.

Donation Page: From Here to Submit Button

They've clicked, they're ready to give, your work here is done! Nope, think again. The deal isn't sealed until someone clicks "Submit." If the donation page you take people to is a hot mess, do you think they'll stick around to finish? They will if you optimize it.

Direct people to an actual, secure donation form. People who click "donate now" want to do just that-a page listing the cornucopia of giving options you have doesn't help them do that. The more pages you make people click through to give you money now, the less likely they are to do it. Put your wishlist and info on planned giving, stock transfers, car donations, etc. somewhere else.
Reinforce your ask on the donate page. Don't dump people on a page with no messaging-or generic messaging like "Donate Now" and that's it. You've got to nudge people to continue-briefly remind them why they want to give with a short message at the top: For every $25 you give today, a family of four will have food for a month. Thank you for helping families in need! Or something.
Make the form as streamlined and simple as possible. Remove distractions-the easier it is for people to click away, the more likely they will do so. Keep them focused on what they came to do: complete the donation form and give. Your message is not a distraction, but that sidebar is. Your navigation bar is too. And this is so not the place to pimp your newsletter or Facebook sign-up one more time.
Only require the information you absolutely need. The more fields you make people fill out, the more likely they'll abandon your form. Name. Address. Credit card. Donation amount. Email... these are requirements. That's not to say you can't ask for more, just make sure people know it's optional, and don't ask for too much more-what information would actually be useful? I'd say gender and birthday-both of which will help with targeting and stewardship later on.
 When to create multiple donation pages (if you can):

If you have multiple campaigns around different areas of interest. Create separate donation pages with messaging specific to each area instead of one generic page.
If you segment your appeals by larger and smaller donors. Try making two forms with different donation ranges. I gasped the first time I saw an online donation form starting at $5,000. Worse, it was listed vertically so all other amounts were below the fold. Imagine how your donor who can't really afford $100 will feel upon seeing that. Different donation forms prevent sticker shock for your lower range donors and discourages major donors from giving less than they would. Win win.