Donating Blood at Children's Hospital Colorado

Give blood at Children’s Colorado

Every year at Children's Hospital Colorado, sick and injured kids receive more than 8,000 units of lifesaving blood products. More than 95% of that blood comes from our Blood Donor Center, thanks to generous people in our community. 

Now, we need your help to ensure we can continue to meet the transfusion needs of our patients throughout the pandemic and during the current nationwide blood shortage. 

How blood donation helps kids at Children’s Colorado

Without blood donations, many critically needed procedures at our hospital would be impossible. Our specialists perform blood transfusions in many departments across our hospital, including our:

• Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders
• Heart Institute
• Center for Children's Surgery
• Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Without our donors, we would not be able to ensure enough supply for our patients. Other blood donation centers face pressure to supply large hospital systems and even send blood out of state. Your blood donation helps us meet our children’s needs in the most efficient way possible.

Many volunteers donate blood regularly, but we can run short during a crisis or when caring for kids with special medical needs. Your donation helps maintain a steady, readily available supply of blood products, so every child gets the treatment they need.

Types of blood donations we accept

The rarest blood type is one that isn’t available when a child needs it. We need donors who represent all four blood types: O, A, B and AB. We gratefully accept these types of volunteer blood donations:

• Whole blood donations: Providing red cells and plasma
• Apheresis platelet donations: Providing platelets, plasma or red blood cells (learn more below)

Please note: We do not accept directed or autologous blood donations. Though we cannot designate blood for a particular patient, we gratefully accept volunteer donations made in honor of a loved one, which helps ensure enough supply to meet all of our patients’ needs.

Learn what to expect when donating blood.

Apheresis platelet donations

Platelets help your body control the bleeding process so your blood can clot properly. Chemotherapy and radiation can destroy platelets. Kids who have cancer, leukemia or blood disorders, or who receive a bone marrow or stem cell transplant, need platelet transfusions to fight infection and heal safely.

Healthy people can donate platelets during a procedure called apheresis. During apheresis, a machine separates your blood into components. We keep what we need and return the rest to you.

All platelet donations take place in our Blood Donor Center. You can donate platelets every two weeks; donation takes about two hours. We provide movies, WiFi and refreshments while you donate.

Donor eligibility

Many people don’t realize they’re eligible to donate blood or platelets. Expand the windows below to learn about current eligibility requirements.

You can help patients at Children’s Colorado in several ways:

• Donating blood or platelets at the Blood Donor Center.
• Donating blood through a scheduled blood drive.
• By hosting a blood drive in your community or in honor of a loved one.

Blood Donor Center hours and location

Children’s Colorado’s Blood Donor Center is located at our hospital on Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, on the first floor of the Administrative Pavilion. We’re open:

• Monday through Thursday: 6:30 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.
• Friday: 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Platelet donation appointments are available:

• Monday through Thursday: 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Make an appointment

By phone

Please make an appointment to give blood today by calling 720-777-5398.

Request an appointment

We can also contact you by phone or email to help you find a convenient time to donate blood or platelets.

Questions?

Please email Donate4Kids@childrenscolorado.org.