Blood Donations Impacted by Trifecta of Sickness, Snow and Holidays
For the last 40 years, Mary Loberg has consistently made her way to Memorial Blood Centers’ Plymouth location to donate blood.
“My mom and dad taught me that this is something you do,” said Loberg, a donor from Plymouth. “And my dad was in the Korean War and he came out and I just saw that that’s what you do; you take care of others. So that’s why I still do it.”
It’s a small, but simple way to give back to those in need. Although, many wouldn’t have blamed her if she had canceled her appointment due to Tuesday’s massive snowstorm.
“No it was the opposite,” said Loberg. “Today is a day when people cancel. So today’s the day for sure when I’m going to show up.”
Memorial Blood Centers is on the lookout for more people like Loberg who are willing to donate when the need is greatest.
Mary Loberg of Plymouth has donated blood for the last 40 years.
‘The holiday season is tough’
“We’ve had cancellations today, not surprisingly,” said Phil Losacker, community relations manager for Memorial Blood Centers (MBC).
He says right now is a challenging time for donations — the holidays keep people busy, winter weather discourages people from coming in and seasonal illness forces people to stay home.
“The holiday season is tough,” Losacker said. “Winter time is tough, and influenza is one of the reasons why it’s tough.”
The CDC reports that influenza is running rampant across the country, and in Minnesota, respiratory viruses like the flu and RSV have consumed hospital capacity.
“A reportedly higher instance of people suffering from those two viruses, it certainly will affect our ability to collect blood,” Losacker said.
Just what sort of affect the viruses will have on MBC remains to be seen. As for Loberg, she knows that 42 hospitals across Minnesota and western Wisconsin rely on donated blood from MBC, and she hopes others out there can answer the call.
“You should do it,” Loberg said. “It’s easy to do. The people here are awesome. The process is easy, and you’re helping somebody else.”
Related: Health Officials: RSV, Flu Cases Spike Ahead of Holidays
