LifeSavers Platelet Club FAQ’s 2011 

LifeSavers Platelet Club was created to reward dedicated platelet donors whose donations help the most severely ill patients in our community.  Patients who have received  bone marrow transplants or who have cancer, leukemia and other serious blood disorders need regular and frequent platelet transfusions from healthy volunteer blood donors.  Why?  These patients are susceptible to infection and bleeding because during treatment for their illnesses, healthy cells are destroyed along with the malignant ones. 

Transfusion of platelets is needed to control these complications.  You can give these patients

a second chance by becoming an apheresis blood donor.

Q: What is apheresis?  Apheresis is the process of removing a specific component of the blood, such as

platelets, and returning the remaining components, such as red blood cells and plasma, to the donor. 

This process allows more of one particular part of the blood to be collected than could be separated

from a unit of whole blood.   

Q:  What happens during the procedure?  During an apheresis procedure, blood will be removed from

the arm, as in a regular blood donation.  It will be channeled through sterile, single use tubing set to

an automated system.  This automated system separates and collects the most needed components

and then safely returns the remaining blood components back to you.  Depending on your platelet count

and the amount of product taken, we ask platelet donors to plan on being with us for an hour and a half to  two hours.

Q:  How often may I donate my platelet cells by apheresis?  Each of us has a supply of

platelets in our blood, and as many as half of our platelets can be lost without ill effects.  Platelets are replaced by our body within forty-eight hours.  This is why you may give platelets more often than whole blood.  (Whole blood collection is permissible only every eight weeks.)  Although apheresis donors can give up to 24 times per year, we ask that you limit your donations to once every two weeks.

Q:  Where can I donate platelets through apheresis?  Donating platelets requires the use of specialized automated collection equipment that is available at select Heartland center locations only.   These donations are not accepted at mobile blood drives.  Heartland center locations where LifeSavers Platelet Club donations can be made include:  Aurora, Bloomingdale, Crystal Lake, DeKalb, Elgin, Frankfort, Geneva,

Highland Indiana, Joliet, Naperville,  Tinley Park, Westmont, Winfield and Yorkville.   For address and contact information as well directions to these locations, click here.

Q:  How do I join the Lifesavers Platelet Club?  Your last donation must be a successful platelet

donation. To sign up, email clubrewards@heartlandbc.org or call (630) 301-6159.

Q: What do I do if I don’t know my Donor ID?

Your Donor ID is printed on your donor card that was mailed to you when you donated blood with us for the very first time.  If you have misplaced your card, you may request another the next time you donate blood.  You can retrieve your Donor ID by clicking here!   You may also email us at clubrewards@heartlandbc.org or call the help desk at 630-301-6183 to ask us to look up your Donor ID.

Q:  What are the rewards and when do I get them?   The LifeSavers Platelet Club offers rewards at specific donation milestones; 3^rd, 4^th, 10^th, 15^th and 20^th successful platelet donation visits! (Deferrals are not counted).   The more frequently you donate the more rewards you earn!  Donations will be tracked from the date of your first platelet donation after pledging, for a rolling 14 month period or until successful completion of your 20^th visit, whichever comes first.  Once you have reached one of the 5 milestones you will receive an email alert notifying you that you can now redeem your reward on line!  It’s that simple!  You will receive your reward via USPS within 4-6 weeks after placing your online order.  Please note that LifeSavers Platelet Club rewards will no longer be distributed at our center locations; rewards must be redeemed online and will be mailed to the address you specify. 

Q:  What if I don’t have access to a computer?  No problem.  Please call us at 630-301-6183 and we will be happy to assist you!