A few people facing surgery elect to have family or friends donate for them because they think that blood is safer than blood donated by strangers. No scientific evidence exists to back this belief that directed donations are safer. All blood donors are subject to the same screening and testing processes.

Federal law requires that directed donations will be accepted only at the written request of the patient and in consultation with the potential donor's physician.

Directed donations cannot save time for the patient or blood bank resources. A minimum of seven (7) working days are required for processing the blood prior to the date of transfusion.

A non-refundable service charge of $50, payable in advance, is required for each directed donation. Blood to be used by patients under four (4) months of age requires additional testing for the cytomegalovirus (CMV) at a cost of $12. Blood to be shipped outside of Lane County has additional charges. All service charges and special testing costs are non-refundable and are in addition to the normal fees involved in processing a unit of blood. Because of the possibility of graft vs. host disease, all donations from blood relatives (parents, children, grandparents, siblings, etc.) must be irradiated prior to transfusion. The hospital will bill the patient for this additional procedure.

Donors must have a blood type compatible with the patient's and their blood type must be verified by a blood bank, hospital, or lab. If the blood type is unknown, LMBB will perform a typing for a charge of $12.