Do you like to give blood, or have you been interested in participating in a blood drive? Right now the Red Cross says the national blood supply has hit critical levels, and in a press release issued earlier this week they said “donors of all blood types are urgently needed.”
The drop is due in part to recent disasters (like Hurricane Idalia) and a 30,000-donation shortfall in August because of a record busy travel season and back-to-school activities. The Red Cross says “Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood—an often-invisible emergency that the rest of the world doesn’t see behind closed hospital doors. Now, that urgency has only heightened…Right now, blood product distributions to hospitals are outpacing the number of blood donations. Approximately 2,500 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country rely on the Red Cross to collect 12,5000 blood donations each day to meet the needs of their patients.”
In addition, September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month. Most people with the disease are “of African descent and require regular blood transfusions to help manage their disease. For students with sickle cell disease, the challenges of missing school due to sickle cell pain crises, hospitalizations and medical appointments can create social isolation.” The Red Cross is teaming up with partners in the black community to host blood drives and support the transfusion needs of patients with sickle cell disease.
If you want to help out, you can find out if you’re currently eligible to give blood here.
If you already know you are eligible, you can find your nearest blood drive here.