Apheresis Donor Program
What Is Apheresis?Apheresis (a-fer-EE-sis) is a type of blood donation. Instead of whole blood, the donor gives only a certain blood component.
What’s It Like?
Apheresis feels much like a whole blood donation. The blood is taken from one arm and channeled through a sterile, disposable kit that is placed in a special machine.
The machine separates the blood into different components, the needed part is taken out, and the rest of the blood is returned to the donor.
How Does Apheresis Help Patients?
Platelets are tiny cells which prevent bleeding. People with certain blood disorders may not be able to produce healthy platelets of their own.
While chemotherapy kills cancer cells, it also destroys platelets. Apheresis donations provide the components many patients depend on for their very lives.
Your apheresis donations are needed by:
- patients who experience trauma
- patients who experience bleeding during surgery
- patients with aplastic anemia
- transplant recipients
- patients with leukemia
- patients receiving treatment for cancer
Apheresis donors must meet the same donor eligibility guidelines as whole blood donors. In Tennessee and North Carolina, you must be at least 17 years old. Now, in Georgia and Alabama 16 year olds can donate with
Contact Us
Apheresis donors can donate at our Downtown Chattanooga, Cookeville, East Brainerd, Rome, or Tullahoma locations.For more information or to make an appointment:
Chattanooga
705 East 4th Street
across from the McKenzie Arena
423-756-0966 ext.143
Cookeville
400 Dubois, Suite 9
inside the Cookeville Mall
931-526-3462
East Brainerd
1740 Gunbarrel Road
behind FSG Bank
423-893-7454
Rome
178 Shorter Avenue
in the Midtown Crossing
Shopping Center
706-235-9853
Tullahoma
1500 North Jackson St.
Suite 200
Tullahoma, TN 37388
next to Radio Shack
931-461-5773
Toll Free
1-800-962-0628 ext.143