Blood service providers say need for donations continues
The blood service provider Vitalant declared an emergency blood shortage Monday, Vitalant communications manager Kristen Lane said.
Blood supplies for patients in the region recently dipped to their lowest levels in a year, and about 900 hospitals nationwide need eligible donors to prevent disruptions in patient care, Lane said.
“That has not happened yet, but that is always a fear in the back of our hospitals’ minds, our doctors’ minds, that if there’s not enough blood already at the hospital, it won’t be available for an emergency,” Lane said, referring to concern about disruptions in care.
“And that’s one of the most critical aspects of our mission of blood donation,” she said. “We want to make sure that hospitals have an ample supply available because it’s the blood that’s already at the hospital that helps emergencies.”
January often proves a particularly tough time for donors to make and keep appointments, said American Red Cross communications manager Nicole Roschella. Even with the holiday season winding down, seasonal illness and severe winter weather continue to interfere with the supply care providers rely on for help, she said.
“We need donors of all blood types, but particularly Type O blood donors,” she said. “That’s because that blood is able to be used in emergency situations.”
Care providers also need platelet donors specifically, Roschella said.
“Those donations can’t sit on the shelf for longer than 5 days,” she said.
“Platelet is actually not a type of blood,” Lane said. “It’s a component of blood, and whole blood is made up of 3 separate components: platelets, plasma and red cells. And each of those components goes to a separate patient, and that’s why we say that 1 blood donation can save as many as 3 blood donors.”
January also marks National Blood Donation Month, a time to celebrate people who roll up sleeves to keep hospitals stocked so they can provide critical care, Roschella said.
The American Red Cross is partnering with the National Football League to host a lottery for blood donors.
“The Red Cross is working with Pro Football Hall-of-Famer and blood donor Peyton Manning to ask people to give blood this month, and if you come to our Red Cross Blood Drive to donate, you’ll also get a chance to win a trip to the Super Bowl in Arizona,” she said.
“It’s a trip for two that you could win, so the winner and their guest win the game in Arizona, access to stadium pregame activities, tickets to the official Super Bowl experience, lots of airfare to Phoenix, a 2-night hotel stay, plus a $500 gift card for other expenses for that trip,” she said.
Vitalant is hosting a lottery, too.
Anyone who donates blood platelets or plasma now through January 20 is put in the raffle to win a trip to the big game, Lane said.
It includes accommodations for two at a luxury resort in Scottsdale for four nights, round trip transportation from the resorts, two tickets to the fan experience, a tailgate party and a prepaid gift card of $2,000 usable toward any expenses, such as travel, meal or incidentals.
