Central Pennsylvania Faces Critical Blood Shortage as Donations Drop |
Red Cross urges urgent action, schedules multiple blood drives across Blair County |
The American Red Cross has issued an emergency call for blood donors following a sharp decline in donations combined with increased hospital demand. According to the organization, blood supplies dropped by nearly 25% in June. At the same time, hospitals are using significantly more blood than expected—about 3,500 additional units per week. Officials say there is an especially urgent need for platelet donations and blood types O positive and B negative. To help address the shortage, several blood drives are scheduled throughout Blair County in July:
One major event, the 38th Annual Blair Media Blood Blitz, will take place on July 21 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Altoona Area Junior High School. Residents can schedule an appointment by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or visiting the Red Cross website. As an added incentive, donors who give blood between July 13 and July 31 will receive a Fandango movie ticket by email, valid for up to $15 including fees. |
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Platelets specifically are something not enough people know about. The donation process is longer than a regular blood draw but the shelf life is only about 5 days, which means the need is basically constant. If anyone is eligible and has the time, platelet donation is genuinely one of the more impactful things you can do.
I appreciate that they listed every date and location, but I'm a little skeptical the Fandango ticket is going to be the thing that moves the needle here. People who donate regularly don't need a movie ticket to show up, and people who've never donated usually have a different reason for not going. That said, if it convinces even a handful of first-timers, I guess it's worth it.
Glad Zion Lutheran in Hollidaysburg is on the list. A lot of folks on that side of the county don't want to deal with Altoona traffic and having a local option makes a real difference for participation. Hopefully they get a solid turnout on the 24th.
Been O positive my whole life and never really thought much about it until a family member needed a transfusion after surgery. That changed things for me real quick. If you're O pos, please make time this month. The drive at the junior high on the 21st is hard to miss — 10 hours is a long window.
I've donated at the Orchard Ave. center a few times and the staff there are always professional and efficient. If you've been putting it off, just go — the whole process takes maybe 45 minutes and the need is clearly very real right now. A 25% drop in a single month is alarming when you think about what hospitals go through just on a normal week.