LifeShare is opening a new Baton Rouge blood donation facility. (Source: WAFB)

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – A blood donation center is hosting a grand opening for a new facility in Baton Rouge.

LifeShare’s new donor center, located at 5745 Essen Lane, held its grand opening on Tuesday, Sept. 17.

The new center provides donors and staff with more than 5,000 square feet of space. Not only is the space larger, but LifeShare is adding choices for its donors. In addition to donating whole blood – the most typical kind of blood donation – donors can now choose to donate platelets. This process takes about two hours to complete but is crucial in helping to save lives. Platelets most often go to cancer patients fighting to overcome the effects of chemo therapy.

“In the past, platelets going to help patients in Baton Rouge had to come from donors in Shreveport, Monroe, or Alexandria. Now blood donors in Baton Rouge can provide platelets to their own friends and family through this expanded option,” says LifeShare Regional Director Stephanie Duplessis.

LifeShare Blood Center provides blood to dozens of hospitals in Louisiana including Baton Rouge General and Opelousas General.

In addition to blood and platelets, the new center also better connects South Louisiana to LifeShare’s cellular therapy and tissue services. These types of medicines target specific cells from donated blood or tissue that will then go to patients fighting any number of illnesses including cancers, heart disease, and damaged lungs.

The former Baton Rouge Donor Center at 3849 North Boulevard is now closed. All donors with future appointments should go to the Essen Lane location.

The new donor center is open 6 days a week. For the operating hours or to make an appointment, donors can visit LifeShare.org.

See the article on wafb.com here.