Patients Who Need Blood Only Have One Source: YOU
January 29, 2023
Medical advancements have created artificial substitutes for everything from limbs to internal organs, but one of our most precious and life-saving resources, human blood, is not one of them.
Patients who require blood transfusions rely on healthy humans to donate blood at community blood drives and blood centers across the nation so that blood and blood products are available at hospitals like Beaufort Memorial.
“The fact is there is no other source of human blood,” said Michelle Foster, HT (ASCP), Director of Laboratory & Pathology services at Beaufort Memorial. “It cannot be manufactured or produced in any other way, so the importance of volunteer blood donors to the health of our patients cannot be overstated or overvalued.”
Read More: Are you Eligible to Donate?
Hospitalized patients require blood for a variety of reasons, including car accidents, traumatic injuries and surgical blood loss, among others.
“The need for blood donations is constant and never takes a holiday,” said Pat Michaels, director of media and public relations for OneBlood. “That’s why we stress the importance of having donors who give regularly; we never know when a tragedy may happen, so it’s important to have a ready blood supply.”
Today, Beaufort Memorial utilizes about 200 pints of blood per month.
Read More: Preparing to Give Blood
That community blood center is now known as OneBlood, and the center and its staff have a 23-year history of collecting blood from local donors to ensure that Beaufort Memorial and its patients always have the blood products they need, when they need them.
One pint of blood can save up to three lives, and eligible donors can roll up their sleeves every 56 days to donate. Almost anyone can donate, though only 5 to 10 percent of eligible donors give, and even fewer do so regularly.
Donors must be in good health, at least 16 years of age and weigh more than 110 pounds to be eligible.
Read More: Find a Blood Drive Near You
OneBlood partners with businesses, schools, neighborhoods and community organizations to host mobile blood collection events several times each month. They also operate a free-standing center on Boundary Street in Beaufort.
“We are so grateful to the thousands of people who have rolled up their sleeves to provide this resource to patients at Beaufort Memorial,” Foster said. “If you’re thinking about becoming a regular donor, the time is now.”
To learn more about blood donations at Beaufort Memorial, to schedule an appointment or host a blood drive, visit our Blood Donation page.
Updated: November 2025