Donate blood this summer
Published 4:18 pm Monday, July 30, 2012
Despite annual pleas for help, summer remains the “dry” season for blood donations, and this year it’s worse than usual, with the national blood supply plummeting to a 15-year low, the American Red Cross announced.
The usual summer slowdown in donations caused by vacations and school closures was compounded by the severe weather that struck most of the country in early summer. Dozens of blood drives were cancelled due to storms, and extreme heat has kept donors at home, USA Today reported. So much so, the Red Cross warns that doctors may have to cancel elective surgeries if needed blood products aren’t available.
The Red Cross reached emergency levels on June 25, with 50,000 fewer donations than expected in June, and now half as many blood products are available as this time last year.
America’s Blood Centers, which collects half the nation’s blood, said donations have been tight, but not at the same emergency levels as the Red Cross, USA Today reported.
The good news is that many blood centers have “resource sharing” agreements where a surplus can be sent to an area facing shortages.
The Pacific Northwest — spared the severe weather — is not suffering the acute shortages reported by the American Red Cross. But it is experiencing the annual summer slowdown, according to Puget Sound Blood Center. Over a period of months, the number of donors typically drops off by 15 percent. In addition to vacations, high schools and colleges are on break, which means many regular donors are not available.
The problem of course, is that while the supply drops, the need does not diminish one little bit.
Donated blood and its components are needed every day for surgeries — including organ transplants, treating traumatic injuries, and cancer treatments. With a shelf life of only 42 days for whole blood, the supply needs constant replenishing.
The Puget Sound Blood Center, with 11 locations, including centers in Lynnwood and Everett, asks people to take one hour between now and the end of September to give blood to carry the area through vacation season.
Particularly needed are O-negative donors, the “universal donors” whose blood can be given to patients with any other blood type — vitally important in emergency situations. Find out where to give blood at psbc.org; appointments can be scheduled at 1-800-398-7888.
Another way to help communities across the country avoid the summer slowdown is to also donate blood wherever it is you might be vacationing. This goes for college and high school students, too. Add some quick and easy service to your get-a-way. Let’s use summer to develop good, life-saving habits, not drop them.
