Emergency blood shortage! Please give…

This came in this morning, and I meant to post it before now:

Columbia, SC (June 25, 2012) – The American Red Cross blood supply 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.
“Every day, the Red Cross must collect more than 17,000 units of blood for patients at more than
3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country. Of that, the South Carolina Blood Services
Region must collect approximately 500 units per day,” said Julie Weilacher, interim CEO of the
American Red Cross South Carolina 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 unit 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,” Weilacher added. “Our goal is to ensure that doesn’t happen.”
Please give blood with the American Red Cross today. 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. Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or
visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or find blood donation opportunities in your community.

Columbia, SC (June 25, 2012) – The American Red Cross blood supply has reached emergencylevels with 50,000 fewer donations than expected in June. This shortfall leaves the Red Cross with halfthe 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 andgive as soon as possible. All blood types are needed, but especially O positive, O negative, B negativeand 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 orplatelets. In addition, this year’s mid-week Independence Day holiday has reduced the number ofscheduled Red Cross blood drives. Many sponsors, especially businesses, are unable to host drivesbecause employees are taking extended vacations.
Unfortunately, patients don’t get a holiday from needing blood products. The need is constant. Everytwo seconds, someone in the United States needs a blood transfusion. Blood and platelets are neededfor many different reasons, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery patients, organ transplantpatients, premature babies – when there are complications during childbirth – and for patients receivingtreatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease.
“Every day, the Red Cross must collect more than 17,000 units of blood for patients at more than3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country. Of that, the South Carolina Blood ServicesRegion must collect approximately 500 units per day,” said Julie Weilacher, interim CEO of theAmerican Red Cross South Carolina Blood Services Region. “We need donors to make appointmentsin the coming days and weeks to help us ensure that all patient blood needs can be met. Each unit ofwhole blood can help save more than one life.”
“There is always the chance that a physician could postpone an elective surgery if the needed bloodproducts aren’t readily available or, in a worst case scenario, have to forego a more serious procedurebecause of a shortage of blood,” Weilacher added. “Our goal is to ensure that doesn’t happen.”
Please give blood with the American Red Cross today. A blood donor card or driver’s license, or twoother forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 withparental permission in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health maybe eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger alsohave to meet certain height and weight requirements. Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) orvisit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or find blood donation opportunities in your community.

For those who live in Columbia, there’s the Famously Hot Columbia drive at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center on Friday. For me, that’s about 10 days too early, but I plan to give as soon as my required 112 days have passed since I gave on March 19.

There are various other drives in the Midlands over the next few days, but the easiest thing is just to call the Red Cross and arrange to give either at the Bull Street HQ or any of the drives.

4 thoughts on “Emergency blood shortage! Please give…”

  1. `Kathryn Braun Fenner

    I would gladly give, as I once did, if they would lift their ban on people who lived in England. Like, in a year, I ate considerably less beef–it was nasty then–than an executive on a short business trip would eat, yet I am barred from giving blood. I gave blood in the 80s and early 90s, after my British sojourn, but before the ban, so….if no one has CJD or BSE, then my blood is surely safe, so howsaboutit, guys?

  2. Joanne

    My daughter was banned when she was at USC because she had gone on a church mission trip to Honduras. Can’t and don’t they test the blood they get??

  3. `Kathryn Braun Fenner

    I guess there is no test for CJD/BSE–dunno why the Honduran block–maybe there’s an incubation period?

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