American Red Cross Urgently Needs Blood Donations

The American Red Cross is putting out an urgent request for blood donations. Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood.  

A single car accident victim can require as much as 100 pints of blood, while blood platelets are critical for cancer patients, especially when they are going through chemo.

“My father was actually sick with cancer a couple years ago and actually himself needed a number of blood transfusions,” said Maple Grove resident Melena Bellin. She stopped by a blood drive in Osseo, to help replenish the life-saving substance.

“Sort of my way of giving back, for the blood he took out of the supply,” she said.

On average, the American Red Cross has about 700 units of blood on hand, per day, here in Minnesota. But it’s difficult to keep up with that number during the holidays because donations tend to dip. 

“We always kind of need a lot of blood, but especially right in the holiday season,” said Red Cross Collection Specialist Hannah Merrill. “People who normally give blood are on vacation, or sick and can’t make it in.”

Weather is also a factor with donations being down this time of year. If it snows too much, or the roads become icy, the Red Cross might have to cancel blood drives because it is too dangerous for folks to come out.

The American Red Cross supplies 70 percent of hospitals here in the Twin Cities metro area.  So, it’s crucial for the non-profit to have enough blood donations on deck.

“We need all blood types, especially O negative and O positive,” said Merrill.

They say one blood donation can potentially save three lives and it’s a relatively, simple process to go through.

There are several blood donation drives coming up in our area. Check here for more information.

Osseo