Blood centers ask donors to come in after shortages

News Photo by Mike Gonzalez
Heather McMillan prepares a donor for a blood test at a Versiti blood drive in MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena on Thursday.

ALPENA — A national blood shortage has blood centers across the U.S. asking for blood from any willing donors.

Officials say the summer months traditionally see low donations, but they hope to get donors in during the fall months. Versiti Blood Center of Michigan officials said they need 3,600 donors every week to keep a safe supply.

Justine Titus, team lead of blood operations at Versiti Michigan, said the group has seen a decrease in first-time donors and needs more incoming.

“I think it’s just new to them,” Titus said. “They’re scared. They are afraid of the unknown. Like, how will they feel afterwards? And I don’t think that some realize it doesn’t really take much to donate. Then the ones that do come in will say, ‘Well, that wasn’t that bad.’”

Titus said that there has been an uptick of emergency room patients that need large blood transfusions. She said that, while the summer months see fewer donors, the need for blood never takes a break.

On Thursday, Versiti held a blood drive from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena. There, Titus and her team saw an abundance of donors hoping to give blood.

“Donating blood takes about an hour and has the potential to save up to three lives,” Titus said via text. “There is no debate about it, donating blood will help someone live another day.”

Versiti and other blood centers need all blood types and say that anyone in good health who meets eligibility requirements and is 17 or older should come in. A parent’s consent is needed for anyone age 16.

The next blood drive Versiti will hold in Northeast Michigan is at MediLodge of Rogers City from noon to 4 p.m. on Sept. 28.