O –

Every Blood Type Has Its Perks

O Negatives are super special! They are considered the “Universal Blood Type.
This means that they can give blood to anyone who needs it.

BLOOD TYPE FACTS

The Ultimate Giver

Your blood is in high demand! Most hospitals ask for O Negative because you can give to anyone in need! Most of the time, O Negative blood is used for trauma, air medical services, and ambulance emergencies.

How many people have my blood type?

O- makes up only 6.6% of the population, found in just 1 of every 15 people.

Who can I give to?

You can give to EVERY blood type! That’s the best part about your blood!

Who can I receive from?

You can only receive from other O Negatives. Make sure you donate so that other O Negatives who might need blood can have the blood needed for transfusion!

What's My preferred donation type?

Your blood type is best utilized when you give whole blood (regular blood donation) and Red Cells (Available only at one of our center). Look below to see the details of each donation type!

YOUR UNIQUE DONATION TYPE

CONSIDER GIVING

Whole Blood

Whole blood donation is collected in our centers and on our mobiles. This is the “regular donation” that most people think about when donating blood. The process usually takes only 45 minutes from start to finish (the actual donation time is less than 15 minutes).

You can donate every 56 Days.

CONSIDER GIVING

Platelets

Platelet donation is collected only in our centers. This donation is used mainly to treat cancer patients. The process usually takes 2 hours from start to finish. Females must be tested for HLA if they have ever been pregnant and your platelet count must be at least 150 depending on blood volume.

You can donate every 7 Days.

CONSIDER GIVING

Red Cells

Donating Red Cells is an automated process. Since your blood is made of Platelets, Red Cells, and Plasma, we only take the red cells and put the other two back. This donation can only be done at one of our centers. The process of donation is the same as whole blood, but it usually takes 1 hour.

You can donate every 112 Days.

CONSIDER GIVING

Plasma

Donating Plasma with us is different than facilities that pay for plasma. All of our plasma that is donated goes directly to burn patients and those with blood disorders in your local hospitals. This donation can only be done at our centers and the process of donation takes about 1.5 hours.

You can donate every 28 Days.

Rh-Negative

In the United States, only 15% of the poplulation has a negative antigen! This means that negatives need to donate more to make up for the need for rh-negative transfusions.

Rh-Postitive

In the United States, 85% of the population has this Rh-positive blood factor, which means most people have positive blood types. 

History of The Blood Connection
1962

A group of physicians, hospital and civic leaders decided on a plan to serve the needs of patients in the community and formed The Greenville Blood Assurance Plan.

1978-1981

The Greenville Blood Assurance Plan was officially merged into a new organization called Carolina-Georgia Blood Center. This created a central resource for collecting and processing blood and blood products, ensuring patients access to blood available in the region.

2000

The board of trustees adopted the mission-oriented name, The Blood Connection.

Growth of The Blood Connection
2003-2014

The Blood Connection expands into 4 more locations throughout the Upstate of SC and into NC.

2016

A new modern brand identity was created to establish a set of standards that will help maintain a sense of continuity as more regions are added.

2017-Present

The Blood Connection experiences an immense amount of growth in South Carolina and into North Carolina, adding over 35 counties to the service area. New centers in Asheville, Raleigh, and Charleston were built with more locations added.

History

Karl Landsteiner was the first to identify the three main blood groups, A, B, and O. This discovery changed the world of blood donation and affects us even today.

Ready to Donate Blood?

Find A LocationView Our Promotions
LiveChat