Donors' selfless acts mean life for others

Blood donations drop off during the summer, so it was good to see the donors who turned out for Tuesday's Red Cross collection at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds, and we hope today's turnout, ending at 5 p.m., helps boost the supply as well.

The next drive in McCook will be Oct. 6 at McCook Community College, but keep your ears open for other opportunities as well.

There's a serious need.

According the the American Red Cross:

* Someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds.

* More than 41,000 blood donations are needed each day.

* A total of 30 million blood components are transfused each year in the U.S.

* The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints.

* The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O.

* The blood used in an emergency is already on the shelves before the event occurs.

* Sickle cell disease affects more than 70,000 people in the U.S. About 1,000 babies are born with the disease each year. Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives.

* More than 1.6 million people were diagnosed with cancer last year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.

* A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood.

* The number of blood donations collected in the U.S. in a year: 15.7 million

* The number of blood donors in the U.S. in a year: 9.2 million

* Although an estimated 38 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate, less than 10 percent actually do each year.

* Blood cannot be manufactured -- it can only come from generous donors.

* Type O-negative blood (red cells) can be transfused to patients of all blood types. It is always in great demand and often in short supply.

* Type AB-positive plasma can be transfused to patients of all other blood types. AB plasma is also usually in short supply.

Find out more at redcrossblood.org

But blood is not the only thing you can donate to help others.

That was brought into the spotlight this week when it was revealed that congenial, popular IndyCar driver Justin Wilson, 37, who died Monday, had helped save the lives of six other people by being an organ donor.

Wilson suffered a head injury during a race at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., on Sunday, when he was struck by airborne debris from another car and then crashed into a wall on the track.

Wilson, who overcame dyslexia and was an advocate for charities, leaves behind a wife, Julia, and two daughters, ages 5 and 7.

You may not be a race car driver, but you do drive or ride in a car or truck.

We don't like to think about dying in an accident, but please consider becoming an organ donor.

You can do so by visiting Nebraska Organ Recovery at http://bit.ly/1heHIrs or when you sign up for your state drivers license or ID.