News release
The American Red Cross is declaring an emergency blood shortage as the blood supply fell nearly 25% in June, the organization announced in a news release.
Blood donors are urgently needed to give now to help ensure patients receive lifesaving medical care without delay, the release said. The shortage is especially serious for platelets and types O positive and B negative blood.
A steep decline in blood donations since the end of May has created a growing gap between supply and patient need. Currently, Red Cross distributions to hospitals are nearly 3,500 units higher per week than expected at a time when hospitals often see higher demand for blood products during the height of trauma season, the release said. On top of that, busy schedules and the seasonal loss of school blood drives are driving the decline which could put patient care at risk if not reversed.
To book an appointment to give blood, you can use the Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). As a thank-you, all who come to give by July 31 will receive a Fandango Movie Ticket by email (up to $15 ticket price and fees). Additional details can be found at RedCrossBlood.org/July.
“A readily available blood supply serves as the backbone of modern medicine. Without it, lifesaving treatments and critical access points to care are not possible,” Dr. Courtney Lawrence, medical director for the Red Cross, said in the release. “Emergency departments, operating rooms, and labor and delivery units can’t support patients with the most urgent needs, and cancer patients must wait. We’re asking donors to give now before doctors are forced to make those difficult decisions.”
According to the release, upcoming blood donation opportunities in the Santa Clarita Valley include:
• July 21: 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Santa Clarita United Methodist Church, 26640 Bouquet Canyon Road.
• July 22: 12 p.m.-6 p.m., Santa Clarita Old West Masonic Lodge, 19310 Avenue of the Oaks.
• July 24: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Santa Clarita City Hall, 23920 Valencia Blvd.
• July 25: 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Santa Clarita Old West Masonic Lodge, 19310 Avenue of the Oaks.
• July 29: 12 p.m.-6 p.m., Santa Clarita Old West Masonic Lodge, 19310 Avenue of the Oaks.
• July 29: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Courtyard by Marriott, 28523 Westinghouse Place.
• July 31: 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Santa Clarita United Methodist Church, 26640 Bouquet Canyon Road.
