National Blood Donor Month
In a recent press release by the WV Department of Health, it was announced that they are working with the American Red Cross Central Appalachia Region to encourage residents to consider donating blood. They said that January has been designated as National Blood Donor Month “because winter months are a challenging time for blood supply due to lower donor turnout around holidays, severe weather, and respiratory season.”
DH Cabinet Secretary Sherri Young said “The blood supply has currently fallen to critically low levels and donations are needed right now to help alleviate the shortage. Those contributions can ensure that lifesaving medical procedures are not delayed.”
The number of people donating over the last 20 years has dropped by 40 percent. Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross Central Appalachia Region, Erica Mani, said “When fewer people donate blood, even small disruptions to blood donations – such as the nearly 7,000-unit shortfall in blood donations the Red Cross experienced between Christmas and New Year’s Day alone – can have a huge impact on the availability of blood products and dramatic consequences for those in need of an emergency blood transfusion.”
The release went on to say that blood is being sent to hospitals now at a faster rate than bood donations are being made, dwindling the available supplies of this life saving commodity so much that in recent weeks the Red Cross has had to ration the distribution of Type O blood to hospitals, and Type O is the most common type of blood used in life preserving transfusions.
If you want to be a blood donor, you can download the Red Cross Donor App, and utilize the Rapid Pass on that app, which will enable you to fill out the questionnaire online. That app will also let you see where your blood donation is sent and the lifesaving services it provides.
You can also make an appointment at RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
There are two local places that are conducting blood drives which have open appointments. Those are:
- Tuesday, January 30, 2024 at the Parks and Recreation Building, 320 9th Street in Marlinton.
- Monday, February 5th at the WVSOM Alumni Center, 400 Lee Street, Lewisburg, WV 24901
To find other locations and dates where you can donate, or to make appointments for these drives, you can call the 1-800-/RED CROS (1-800-733-2767) phone number.
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