As Oregonians get swamped with holiday chores, travel and winter weather, some may not take the time to donate blood like they normally would. You may not realize that it takes about 1,000 donors a day just to maintain a healthy blood supply for hospitals in the state, according to the American Red Cross Cascades Region, which covers Oregon and Southwestern Washington.
Isabel Anderson, regional communications manager for the American Red Cross, said the blood supplies overall are stable for now, but the “O positive” blood supply is dwindling.
“That’s really important because it’s the most-used blood type in hospitals,” Andersen explained. “We’re really looking for people of all blood types, but especially if you have that ‘O
Even though more than 60% of Marylanders are eligible to donate blood, only 3% do. According to America’s Blood Centers, just a 1% increase in donors would alleviate blood shortages.
Marder explained blood donations can extend far beyond Maryland. If the local blood supply is strong but another community has a shortage, blood can be sent to that area. The reverse applies to Maryland.
“Let’s say we’re short on B-negative blood, we can ship blood from other areas here into this area,” he said, “so that there’s enough B-negative blood so that patients can receive that care.”
To find a local blood drive, you can visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter your ZIP code for a list of blood drives near you.
By Isobel Charle , Public News Service
