Blood Banks Plead For Donations

Your office might be a little shortstaffed during the hot summer months, but the nation's blood banks are dealing with a more serious problem -- a shortage of blood.

The blood banks say that when families are away from home and their jobs, regular blood donations go down.

Going into the Fourth of July holiday weekend, blood supplies were at their lowest point in several months; the American Red Cross had only about two days of all blood types available. Inventory has fallen even lower with the small number of donations given over the holiday weekend.

"Right now, patients in hospitals across the country are helpless without the critical and immediate gift of lifesaving blood," said American Red Cross President and CEO Marsha Evans. "Blood needs to be on the shelves in anticipation of this need, and we can't do that without the donors coming in the door."

To be eligible, a blood donor must be healthy, at least 17 years old and weigh 110 pounds or more.

The summer months are traditionally a challenging time for blood centers. During the school year, donations from high school and college students account for about 15 percent of Red Cross blood collections. In the summer, these groups become much more difficult to target.

Volunteer blood donations help patients being treated for accidents, routine surgeries and serious diseases such as cancer, heart disease and hemophilia. Only about 5 percent of the estimated 60 percent of eligible Americans donate blood.

To find a donation center near you, contact one of these organizations:

American Association of Blood Banks: 866-FROM-YOU, aabb.org
America's Blood Centers: 888-USBLOOD, www.americasblood.org
American Red Cross: 800-GIVE-LIFE, redcross.org