Services > Community Development

Blood donors of all types are needed every day…for critically ill patients, accident victims, people needing surgery and those patients suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer and leukemia. If all eligible people would donate, there would never be a blood shortage.

LifeSource will be providing a new automated procedure which offers donors a unique way to donate red blood cells by using the ALYX machine. All donors interested in donating on the ALYX must have a higher level of iron than is needed for a whole blood donation. Males must be at least 5'1" tall and weigh at least 130 pounds. Females must be at least 5'5" tall and weigh at least 150 pounds. The procedure will take 15 minutes longer than a normal donation.

Appointments are greatly appreciated for our blood drive. To schedule an appointment, please call Beverly Slaby at 847-499-9045 or e-mail her at bslaby@wheelingil.gov.

There will be door prizes of gift certificates from Wheeling Restaurants. Please donate to help save lives. Walk-ins are always welcomed!

Every year more than 30,000 people from all races, ethnic backgrounds and socio-economic backgrounds are diagnosed with life-threatening blood diseases, such as leukemia, lymphoma and inherited diseases. Many can be cured with a marrow or blood stem cell transplant, but they need matching donors. Around 30 percent will find a matching donor within their family. The remaining 70 percent will need to search for an unrelated donor. People can wait years to find a match. Unfortunately, some die before a match is found.

It’s easy to join the Bone Marrow Registry. Simply come to the drive, fill out a registration form with contact information, answer health history questions, and sign the agreement to join the Registry. A swab is taken from inside your cheek so your tissue can be tested. Your tissue type is then added to the registry. If you match a patient, you will receive a physical exam and will be determined if you need to donate marrow or blood cells.

To schedule an appointment to give blood or register for the Bone Marrow Donor Program, please Beverly at (847) 499-9045 or email her at: bslaby@wheelingil.gov.  

If you cannot commit to a time, letting us know that you will be a walk-in will still enable us to plan for sufficient staff to operate the drive efficiently. In either case, please do not hesitate to stop by and donate.

Shortly before one of our previous blood drive, I spoke with a friend that told me “You know how important I feel blood donation is, but it really hit home a little over a year ago when my wife needed 5 transfusions and more than 12 pints over the course of our daughters birth. Then, our daughter needed it off and on during her 6 month stay in the hospital. Thanks to those who donated, both are doing well today.” His experience truly reinforces the belief that when you donate blood today it may be the gift of life for someone tomorrow.

Please plan on coming to our drive to donate. Appointments are greatly appreciated and aid us in anticipated the number of people that will attend so that we can properly staff the event. It also helps us to try and prevent too many people from showing up at the same time. If you are coming, but are not able to set an appointment, please call so that you can find out when the hours with the shorter waits will be. 

Before coming out to the drive, be certain that you eat a solid breakfast and lunch during the day. Also drink plenty of non-caffeinated beverages as well. It has been recommended that by drinking plenty of water in the days leading to the drive that veins become fuller and make the blood donation process easier.

We hope to see you at the blood drive.