Blood
Red Cross donors needed as hospital demand outpaces blood donations
Sep
PARKERSBURG — Blood supplies are being taxed as fewer donors and a hurricane in Florida has caused a national shortage, the American Red Cross said.
Fewer donors than needed gave this summer, drawing down the national blood supply and reducing distributions of some of the most needed blood types to hospitals, the agency said. Hurricane Idalia further strained the blood supply with blood drive cancellations and reduced blood and platelet donations in affected areas.
Donors of all blood types are urgently needed and there is an emergency need for platelet donors and type O blood donors to make an appointment to give now to ensure patients across the country continue to receive critical medical care.
When Idalia slammed into the Southeast, leading to widespread power outages, travel hazards and flooding, the storm also forced the cancellation of more than a dozen blood drives and caused hundreds of blood and platelet donations to go uncollected.
This compounded a shortfall of about 30,000 donations in August. Blood product distributions to hospitals are outpacing the number of blood donations received.
“To make sure we can provide hospitals with the blood they need, we’re counting on the generosity of the public to help us recover from a 30,000 blood and platelet donation shortfall in August,” Sharon Kesselring, executive director of the American Red Cross of the Ohio River Valley, said.
To schedule an appointment to give blood, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, go to a RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Donors who give through Sept. 18 will receive a limited-edition Red Cross T-shirt while supplies last. Those who give throughout September also will receive a coupon by email for a free haircut from Sport Clips Haircuts and be automatically entered for a chance to win a VIP NASCAR racing experience. Details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/RaceToGive.
September also is Sickle Cell Awareness Month.
One in three African American blood donors is a match for people with sickle cell disease. To help ensure patients have the blood products they need, the Red Cross launched the Sickle Cell Initiative in 2021 to grow the number of blood donors who are black and improve health outcomes for patients.
Together longtime and first-time blood donors are helping patients with sickle cell manage their symptoms and showing support for their community.
Joined by Blood is the initiative’s focus during Sickle Cell Awareness Month in September and continues through October. This year, the Red Cross joined with organizations focused on mentorship, including 100 Black Men of America Inc., Kier’s Hope Foundation Inc., historically Black colleges and universities, member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council and the Black Radio Hall of Fame, among others. The groups are holding blood drives. For more information, go to RedCrossBlood.org/OurBlood.
Appointments can also be made on any Alexa Echo device. 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 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. High school students and other donors 18 and younger also have to meet height and weight requirements.
