MacRumors 2016 Blood Drive

MacRumors is pleased to announce the Seventh Annual MacRumors Blood Drive, throughout the month of May 2016. Our goal every year is to save lives by increasing the number of life-saving blood and platelet donations. While most blood drives are specific to a geographic location, our blood drive is online and worldwide. To date we have recorded donations of over 300 units of blood and platelets.

blood_drive_2016
Led by CEO Tim Cook, Apple supports health, relief, and charity efforts, including the recent Apps for Earth promotion. The MacRumors Blood Drive is run by the staff and volunteers of MacRumors.

We ask that you:

1. Donate blood or platelets at any donation center near you, join the bone marrow registry in your country, and sign up for the organ donor registry in your state, province, or country.

2. Post in the MacRumors 2016 Blood Drive! thread to tell us about it and to accept our thanks.

3. Share our message with other people you know.

For details see the MacRumors 2016 Blood Drive! thread and our traditional Honor Roll of donors.

blood_donor_2016_first
There are many reasons that you should participate in the MacRumors Blood Drive. Consider what some of our forum members have said:

User A.Goldberg:

I was diagnosed and treated for leukemia at age 4. When I got my first blood transfusion, the nurse told me that a stranger had donated it. Decades later, I am healthy thanks in part to some truly altruistic people out there. If you're considering donating, do it for me since I'm not eligible myself. Thanks!!!

User TheBean75:

Thank you for everyone who donates. I cannot (due to the mad cow thing) but my daughter was a micro-preemie born at 24 weeks and had 5 transfusions before her first month in the NICU. I know without the selfless act of donating by others she never would have made it.

User I14:

Thank you to everybody who is donating or has signed up for the bone marrow registry. After donating 42 units over the past years, last year I became a recipient with many units of blood and platelets and finally a bone marrow transplant as I battled leukemia. One of you may have saved my life. You will probably never meet the recipient of your donation, but they will be very thankful for your time, effort and your donation.

How to participate

1. If you are eligible, schedule a blood or platelet donation (see FAQ), in May if possible. Register for the bone marrow registry and/or register as an organ donor (see FAQ).

2. If you aren't eligible to donate blood for reasons of health, age, height/weight, recent donation, or the temporary deferral for gay men that applies in many countries, please encourage someone else to make a donation, and let us know. The U.S. FDA has revised the rules since last year; see our Blood donor eligibility forum thread.

3. Help our drive by thanking donors and convincing friends and relatives to donate as well.

Top Rated Comments

glowdragon Avatar
103 months ago
The "temporary deferral for gay men" is still discriminatory and still excludes thousands of good donors. It's messed up that a monogamous married same-sex couple can't donate if they've been sexually active within a year even if they pass quarterly STD screenings.

That said, if you can donate, please do! This stuff is really important. I would do it in a heartbeat (heh) but unfortunately I have a healthy sex life with another man so my blood is apparently too filthy.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Klae17 Avatar
103 months ago
Double platelet donation on Thursday, 28 April 2016. Donation number 290. Hope to donate twice this month.
Thanks for donating. As a gay man I cannot unless I abstained from sex for 12
Months.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justywusty Avatar
103 months ago
Unfortunately in Canada we can't donate if we're gay and in a monogamous relationship. :( we're only allowed if we've not had sex for 5 years (aka no one lol).

I used to be a donator when I was in university! Would do it again. :)
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
balticgreen Avatar
103 months ago
Please donate. The life you save thanks you above all other prayers. I know I do.
[doublepost=1462120224][/doublepost]
Times have changed. Please reach out to the GIFT of LIFE! You can still donate!!!
Unfortunately times have not changed enough. Regardless of how a man self-identifies and regardless of his relationship/monogamy status, any man who has had sex with a man in the last 12 months is still not eligible to donate blood in the US. Some other countries have similar policies.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hikersmith Avatar
103 months ago
220 days ago a donor saved my life through a living donation of a kidney. I could tell you a million reasons the value of this act, and what it means to me. But I have an easier way. Go to the mirror or turn on you web cam and look at the person staring back at you. Is this person's life worth blood, platelets or a spare kidney?

Please donate. The life you save thanks you above all other prayers. I know I do.
[doublepost=1462120224][/doublepost]
Thanks for donating. As a gay man I cannot unless I abstained from sex for 12
Months.
Times have changed. Please reach out to the GIFT of LIFE! You can still donate!!!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
103 months ago
Wow, look how small that dude's wrist is.

…wait.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...
M3 iPad Feature 3

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Monday March 18, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until "deeper" into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday:I've repeatedly said that new...