Never Too Late to Donate: Updated FDA Guidance Empowers New Blood Donors

by Dan Dowling, regional communications manager

“My dad got sick. He was in the Netherlands, and he was diagnosed with gravis disease, which is kidney cancer. He ended up passing away in 2014, but he survived initial diagnosis by 22 years, which is amazing. He had a lot of hospital stays and had needed blood.”

Dorien Morin-van Dam

Dorien Morin-van Dam moved to the United States from the Netherlands in 1988. Now a Vermonter, she had always wanted to donate blood to honor her father whose life was extended by countless blood donations.

For years, prior donation guidance made her ineligible to donate. By chance, she had recently seen a Red Cross post on social media that alerted her that the guidance had changed, and she was now eligible to become a blood donor.

“I've always been on the lookout. This is something I can do here in this country, even though my dad was in Europe, but I was never able to. I didn't know the rule changed. I went in for the first time and was very happy to have done that,” says Morin.

In October 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated its blood donor eligibility guidance on variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), eliminating the deferral for those who spent time in the U.K., Ireland and France between 1980 and 2001. In alignment with FDA changes, the Red Cross began accepting donations from individuals who have not tried giving blood before due to the prior donation criteria. In combination with prior eligibility updates in 2020 for those who spent time in other European countries, this new change effectively eliminates the deferral related to vCJD for all donors.

Morin is now a regular blood donor and is inspired to encourage others to become blood donors. She says the best way to get started is to make an appointment and bring a friend.

“When you make an appointment for blood donation, going with somebody else keeps you accountable to go do it. It also makes it better because then you can talk about it and it's less scary. As a runner, I know accountability is huge,” says Morin.

Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. Morin compares her father's need for blood during his fight with cancer to the ongoing demand for donations, which help others facing similar situations today.

“You don't know how many people in your direct circle of friends have needed blood and the conversation needs to be about that. A lot of us have either emergency or elective surgeries. There is blood on standby,” says Morin.

The Red Cross has many layers of safety in place to help protect the blood supply and health of valued donors, including donor eligibility screening and rigorous testing performed on each donation. The Red Cross remains steadfast in its commitment to ensure that every blood recipient has access to safe, lifesaving blood products when needed.

Morin is grateful for the blood donors who gave blood during her father’s cancer battle. She regularly donates blood now to help others meet their own medical needs.

“I know that somewhere in the Netherlands there are a bunch of people who did this in the in the 1990s and 2000s that directly impacted my father. Being able to do something that impacts somebody here is like paying it forward. That's really what that feels like,” says Morin.

Now that the eligibility guidance for blood donors has changed, Morin anticipates many years of blood donation and aiding others. She believes that regardless of age, any time is ideal for someone to become a blood donor.

“I would have loved to have been able to give blood all those years, but it's never too late. This is one easy, simple way to make a big difference in the community,” explains Morin.

You can make a difference. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood.

Download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment.