MacRumors 2026 Blood Drive

[m53rd]

I wish I could do this - I can barely give blood for a simple blood test without passing out.

Maybe some day, but this is not the time. Have not overcome the fear yet.

I wasn't much better when I was in college. I've come a long way. And yet, I've also felt very much back to square one this year after a failed blood donation in February has brought along a fair amount of anxiety. Keep trying if this is something you want to do. (Gonna try an anxiety med next time myself.) But also know that it's not for everyone and you can still help by spreading the word.

Massive respect to 'm53rd' who ever you are! It does sound like you are a spare parts person lol, but what a fantastic gift to give! Literally saving peoples lives. I actually never knew you could donate part of your liver. I take my hat off to you!

I cannot give blood due to having SVT and taking pills every day for it, wish I had an ablation to fix it. But they seem happy for me to stay on the pills.

Thanks! I promise I'm just an average guy. I prefer the term "twice recycled" 😀. I didn't know about the liver donation either until I did the kidney donation and learned about double donors. But yeah, the liver actually grows back, so you can donate a lobe of it and return to normal function. I'm glad this post has taught someone something. Spreading awareness is a part of the equation. The National Kidney Donation Organization's executive director likes to say, "we want to make talk of kidney donation just as common as blood donation."

My DMs are open if anyone wants to pick my brain. Here are some links as well:

• National Kidney Registry
• Living-Donor Liver Transplant Program at UPMC
• NMDP (formerly Be The Match) bone marrow registry
• DKMS stem cell registry

--Francis

 

[maswriter]

I did my part today!

 

[spazzcat]

I did a double red today.

 

[E.Lizardo]

MacRumors is pleased to announce our Seventeenth Annual MacRumors Blood Drive, throughout the month of May 2026. Let's save lives together by encouraging donations of blood, platelets, and plasma, and signing up as bone marrow and organ donors. While most blood drives are specific to a geographic location, our blood drive is online and worldwide. Anyone can participate.

Over the past 16 years, MacRumors Blood Drives have recorded donations of 1,795 units of blood, platelets, and plasma, cheered for donors, and celebrated new signups for the bone marrow and organ donor registries. We've heard from hundreds of forum members who donate or whose lives were saved by the donations of strangers.

This year's featured donor is user m53rd. Not only is he a blood donor, registered as an organ donor, and registered as a bone marrow donor, but he's already been an organ donor, having donated a kidney and then 60% of his liver to people in need. It's a magnificent example how a single person can save many lives.

Whether you're a regular donor or someone overcoming apprehension to donate for the very first time, we welcome and congratulate you.

How to participate in the MacRumors Blood Drive

1. If you are an eligible donor, schedule a blood, platelet, or plasma donation (FAQ) at any donation center near you. Post in the MacRumors 2026 Blood Drive! thread to tell us about it. Also post if you sign up for the bone marrow registry (FAQ) or register as an organ donor. We'll add all registrants to our Honor Roll.
2. Not everyone is eligible to donate blood, due to their health status or based on risk factors that result in deferrals (see LGBTQ+ donor information). If you aren't eligible to donate blood, please encourage a friend or relative to make a donation, and let us know. If they donate, you'll both be added to our Honor Roll.
3. Share our #MacRumorsBloodDrive message with friends, relatives, and followers. Help us thank the forum members who post in the MacRumors 2026 Blood Drive! thread.

After the MacRumors Blood Drive ends on May 31, continue recording your blood, platelet, and plasma donations, from June 2026 through next April 2027, on our Team MacRumors 2026-2027 page (instructions). We'll tally your donations and count them for the MacRumors 2027 Blood Drive next May.

Article Link: MacRumors 2026 Blood Drive

As someone who has received 3 pints of blood in the last two days I’d like to thank blood donors everywhere! You have most likely saved my life!

 

[piatigorsky]

I tried to donate 500 cc. of blood today in Taipei, which would have been my 10th donation in the past three years since I made this a regular habit. Unfortunately the vein that the needle was stuck in kept seizing up for some reason, and I ended up only with about 200 cc. donated. Next donation will be in late August, when my annual quota as mandated by regulations here resets.

 

[Doctor Q]

Please remember to post about your donations in the MacRumors 2026 Blood Drive! thread, not just here in the news discussion thread.

Thanks!

 

[dynamojoe]

In for one round of platelets. Hopefully I'll get a chance at another next weekend.

 

[Doctor Q]

In for one round of platelets. Hopefully I'll get a chance at another next weekend.

View attachment 2632605

Congratulations and thank you!

Your donation was platelets and plasma, correct?

Did you also donate platelets and plasma on February 3 and on March 1?

Any other dates between June 1, 2025 and February 3? For this Blood Drive we tally donations from last June to this May because the need is year-round.

 

[dynamojoe]

Congratulations and thank you!

Your donation was platelets and plasma, correct?

Did you also donate platelets and plasma on February 3 and on March 1?

Any other dates between June 1, 2025 and February 3? For this Blood Drive we tally donations from last June to this May because the need is year-round.

Here are my donations since June 1 2025, including the one I posted above:
05/21/2026 Platelets and Concurrent Plasma
03/01/2026 Platelet Apheresis
02/03/2026 Platelets and Concurrent Plasma
01/25/2026 Platelet Apheresis
01/04/2026 Platelets and Concurrent Plasma
12/23/2025 Platelet Apheresis
11/30/2025 Platelet Apheresis
11/10/2025 Platelets and Concurrent Plasma
08/18/2025 Platelet Apheresis
08/02/2025 Platelets and Concurrent Plasma
07/02/2025 Platelet Apheresis
06/16/2025 Platelets and Concurrent Plasma

 

[MareLuce]

My hemoglobin was only 12.2. Rejected! (minimum 12.5 grams / dL to donate)

Wa 😭

 

[Doctor Q]

@dynamojoe - Your name "dynamo" is fitting. We've copied your posts above into the Blood Drive thread and added you to the Honor Roll there.

 

[maswriter]

Red Cross notified me that my blood donation went to Mission Hospital, which is a few miles south of me. I’m always glad to know that my donation is helping people.

 

[Doctor Q]

We've tallied 196 units of donated blood, platelets, and plasma so far in this year's MacRumors Blood Drive. We have only 2 days eft to hit our goal of 200 units. We're also nearing another milestone: 2000 units since we started our annual Blood Drives.

We encourage everyone who is eligible to donate this weekend!

 

[m53rd]

I did my part! I finally found a good med to get my heart rate under control and completed my first platelet donation yesterday (Saturday). Unfortunately, I neglected to ask the phlebotomist what the final tally was, so I'll have to reach out to the ARC and figure out if it was 2 products or 3. I'll update this post when I know, if it matters.

Edit: the donation was 2 units of platelets and one of plasma.

 

[Doctor Q]

Macrumors 2026 Blood Drive results

This year:

21 participants​

31 blood donations by 15 people, totaling 31 units​

60 platelet donations by 6 people, totaling 133 units​

48 plasma donations by 4 people, totaling 48 units​

Altogether, 110 donations, totaling 212 units​

Totals to date (2010 through 2026):

339 participants, 149 of whom have participated in more than one MacRumors Blood Drive​

823 blood donations by 298 people, totaling 846 units​

428 platelet donations by 43 people, totaling 858 units​

256 plasma donations by 25 people, totaling 303 units​

15 organ donor registrations noted​

9 bone marrow registry registrations noted​

Altogether, 1,372 donations by 339 people, totaling 2,007 units​

Potential number of lives saved: 3,699​

Thank you to all of our past, present, and future blood, platelet, and plasma donors!

Top blood donors to date (tie): @Doctor Q and @hallux
Top platelet and plasma donor to date: @Timelordprime

Thank you to this year's MacRumors Blood Drive participants:

@AlecEdworthy, @BugeyeSTI, @cjmillsnun, @Darien Red Sox, @dave19263, @Doctor Q, @dynamojoe, @Gkohn, @hallux, @IIGS User, @KD7IWP, @Kfridman, @Linda+, @m53rd (this year's Featured Donor), @maswriter, @nello (forum member since 2001!), @piatigorsky, @spazzcat, @TheYayAreaLiving 🎗, @Timelordprime, @Timpetus​

Forum members who have participated in at least 10 MacRumors Blood Drives:

@Doctor Q, @G4-power, @hallux, @jbachandouris, @rcappo, @Timelordprime​

And thank you to ALL blood donors among MacRumors forum members, whether or not they let us know about their donations.

 

[Doctor Q]

How to participate in the MacRumors Blood Drive from now through April 2027

Record your blood, platelet, or plasma donations on our Team MacRumors 2026-2027 page. We'll tally your donations and count them for the MacRumors Blood Drive next May.

1. Go to the Team MacRumors2026-2027 page and click PLEDGE TO GIVE BLOOD. (Bookmark the page for the future.)
2. Fill in your MacRumors username as your first name and @ macrumors as your last name.
3. In the comments field, tell us what type of donation and how many units, e.g., 1 unit of whole blood, 2 units of platelets, etc.
4. The email address and zip code fields don't matter. MacRumors won't use that information.