| American Red Cross Issues Emergency Call For Blood Donors |
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The American Red Cross blood supply nationally has reached emergency levels with 50,000 fewer donations than expected in June. This shortfall leaves the Red Cross with half the readily available blood products on hand now than this time last year.
The Red Cross is calling on all eligible blood donors – now more than ever – to roll up a sleeve and give as soon as possible. All blood types are needed, but especially O positive, O negative, B negative and A negative in order to meet patient demand this summer. An unseasonably early start to spring may be a contributing factor to this year’s decrease in donations. Many regular donors got an early start on summer activities and aren’t taking time to give blood or platelets. In addition, this year’s mid-week Independence Day holiday has reduced the number of scheduled Red Cross blood drives. Many sponsors, especially businesses, are unable to host drives because employees are taking extended vacations.
Unfortunately, patients don’t get a holiday from needing blood products. The need is constant. Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs a blood transfusion. Blood and platelets are needed for many different reasons, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery patients, organ transplant patients, premature babies – when there are complications during childbirth – and for patients receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease.
Upcoming local blood drives in Cleveland County include the following; to find more local drives, call 1 800 RED CROSS or visit www.redcrossblood.org: 12 to 4:30 p.m. July 13, Wal-Mart, Shelby; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 13, Neal Senior Center, Shelby; 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. July 30, Polkville Baptist Church, Polkville.
“Every day, the Red Cross must collect more than 17,000 pints of blood for patients at more than 3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country. Of that, the CarolinasBlood Services Region must collect approximately 1,600 pints per day,” said Delisa English, CEO of the American Red Cross Carolinas Blood Services Region. “We need donors to make appointments in the coming days and weeks to help us ensure that all patient blood needs can be met. Each pint of whole blood can help save more than one life.” “There is always the chance that a physician could postpone an elective surgery if the needed blood products aren’t readily available or, in a worst case scenario, have to forego a more serious procedure because of a shortage of blood.” English added. “Our goal is to ensure that doesn’t happen.”
Ann Wilder, of Charlotte, donates blood in honor of her 9-year-old daughter “TT,” who lives with sickle cell disease. “TT” receives blood transfusions at least once a month—some times more often. “As a mother, it’s so difficult to see your child go through so much pain,” Wilder said. “Donating blood is the least I can do to potentially help my own daughter and countless others who suffer from diseases or traumas.”
Wilder’s story highlights just how important each and every blood donation can be. Because of that, the Red Cross may extend blood drive hours and is reaching out to eligible blood donors, sponsors and community leaders to ask them to recruit blood donors to help meet the needs of patients in communities across the United States.
Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. A blood donor card or driver’s license, or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
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