Summer blood donations encouraged to keep pace with blood needs

Red Cross states there is an urgent need for platelets and specific blood types
While  thousands of people have responded to the recent emergency call for blood and platelet donations from the American Red Cross, there remains an urgent need for platelet donors, as well as donors with types O negative, B negative and A negative blood. Right now blood products are being distributed to area hospitals almost as quickly as donations are coming in.
“We are grateful to the donors who have rolled up a sleeve to give blood or platelets to the Red Cross in the last couple of weeks, but our work is not over,” said John Hagins, CEO for the Red Cross Greater Alleghenies Blood Services Region. “The need for blood is constant. As July comes to a close and August begins, we ask eligible donors to please give blood or platelets as soon as possible.”
The Red Cross issued an emergency call for blood donations on July 9 after seeing about 50,000 fewer blood and platelet donations than expected in June. Donations have increased by about 15 percent since the emergency call for donors was issued, but the middle and end of July mark only the halfway point to the challenging summer months.
“The summer is historically one of the most difficult times of year for blood and platelet donations,” said Hagins. “Many donors are still enjoying summer activities, but patients are unable to take a vacation from needing lifesaving transfusions.”
Blood and platelets are needed for many reasons. Accident and burn victims, heart surgery patients and organ transplant patients, as well as those receiving treatment for cancer or sickle cell disease, may depend on lifesaving transfusions. Each day, the Red Cross Greater Alleghenies Blood Services Region needs approximately 700 donors to step forward and give blood. Blood and platelets can only come from generous volunteer donors.
Eligible donors with types O negative, B negative and A negative blood are especially encouraged to give double red cells where available. Type O negative blood is the universal blood type and can be transfused to anyone who needs blood. Types A negative and B negative blood can be transfused to Rh positive or negative patients.