Donating blood is always considered a responsible thing to do for society. But this summer, it’s more than just nice. It’s an emergency.
In late July, the second ever national blood supply crisis was declared by the American Red Cross after blood donations fell to a four-year summer low.
The blood shortage became so critical that the Red Cross is now limiting the distribution of Type O blood in certain hospitals, the nonprofit said. Type O is the most commonly transfused blood type. At the end of July, the Red Cross said it had less than a one-day national supply of Type O positive blood.
Extreme heat, poor air quality and widespread foodborne illnesses are contributing to donations not keeping up with hospital demand, which tends to be higher in summer due to more emergencies such as car accidents and severe injuries.
To ramp up the supply of blood, support groups are hosting blood drives. In short, people who donate can help ease this crisis. The Red Cross estimates that just three more donors at each blood drive this summer can end the crisis and return a stable blood supply.
What figures to be one of the biggest blood drives will take place on Sunday, Aug. 23 at the Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green St., Pasadena, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The international WeLoveU Foundation has teamed up with the Red Cross to host the drive. They’ve already registered enough volunteers to donate at least 260 pints of blood, said the WeLoveU Foundation.
“Our goal is to have a minimum of 300 donors,” said Stacy Martinez, spokesperson for the group. “Three hundred have their appointments, so we hope 300 will be donating.”
The group also accepts walk-ins, she said. For more information, visit: RedCrossBlood.org.
To reach out to more states simultaneously, WeLoveU is coordinating the Pasadena blood drive with simultaneous drives in other parts of the state, and in Oregon and Pennsylvania, to bring up blood supplies down by thousands of units.
“When blood donations decline, patients facing emergencies, cancer treatments and other serious medical conditions can feel the impact almost immediately, said Jacquelyn Clites, regional chief executive officer for American Red Cross Los Angeles Region.
“At a time when every donation matters, these donors are providing hope and critical support to patients who are counting on us,” she added. A single patient may require up to 100 units of blood, the Red Cross reported.
“Every time a volunteer rolls up their sleeve, they’re making a decision that could save a stranger’s life within hours, said Jessica Amaya, program manager of the WeLoveU Foundation.
Other local blood drives include:
• Friday, Aug. 21 at the Los Angeles County Fire Department Fire Station 89, 29575 Canwood St., Agoura Hills, 91301. To find other donation sites, visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter your ZIP code. Or call: 1-800-RED-CROSS. To register for this event, go to: https://www.mysdbb.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/90267. Bring proper identification to the site.
• Thursday, Sept. 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Burton Chace Park Community Room, 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey, 90292. Visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter the sponsor code: LACBH for this event.