Blood donations needed in summer months

ALBANY — When blood isn’t available on hospital shelves, patient care can be affected. The American Red Cross is urging new blood donors and those that haven’t given in a while to give blood this summer and help ensure blood products aren’t missing from hospital shelves.

The Red Cross, as well as One Blood, have several opportunities to give in southwest Georgia.

For the past four years, officials said, new Red Cross blood donors have declined by about 80,000 each year. It is a challenge blood collection organizations face across the country and around the world.

“When not enough people donate blood, hospital shelves may be empty when a critical patient arrives,” Mario Sedlock, director of donor recruitment of the Southern Red Cross Blood Services Region, said. “Imagine if someone you love needed a blood type that was missing from hospital shelves. More blood donors are needed now to fill those gaps.”

Every two seconds, someone in the country needs blood. When blood products aren’t available in emergency situations or those undergoing lifesaving treatments, patients like Jacqueline Rogers do notice.

Jaqueline, 13, was born with a congenital heart disorder. At the age of 8, she needed heart surgery, but there was a shortage of type O negative blood. Her surgery had to be postponed. Red Cross blood donors came through and she had multiple successful surgeries. She is now healthy and thriving.

The Red Cross launched its “Missing Types” campaign earlier this summer with a goal of bringing awareness to the need for new blood donors in order to reverse a declining donor population. The homepage of the Red Cross Blood Services website has its As, Bs and Os — representing the blood types — deleted to draw awareness to the need for blood donations, and the organization has encouraged media partners to do the same.

The Red Cross and Cedar Fair theme parks are teaming up this summer to thank donors for helping save lives. Two winners will be selected among those who enter through July 8 to win a trip for four to Cedar Point or Knott’s Berry Farm. Each winner will receive travel and two-night accommodations at a participating hotel and two days’ worth of family four-pack admission tickets.

Those who donate at a One Blood drive can receive a free $10 grocery store or Walmart gift card and a free wellness checkup, including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, iron count and cholesterol screening.

To donate blood through the Red Cross, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit www.redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Most individuals who are 17 years of age, 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.

Red Cross blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at www.redcrossblood.org/rapidpass or use the Blood Donor App.

For more information on One Blood and how to donate, call 1-888-9DONATE (936-6283) or visit www.oneblood.org.

Jennifer Parks