Dangerously Low Blood Supply

The American Red Cross is facing a national blood crisis – its worst blood shortage in over a decade, posing a concerning risk to patient care. Doctors have been forced to make difficult decisions about who receives blood transfusions and who will need to wait until more products become available. Blood and platelet donations are critically needed to help prevent further delays in vital medical treatments.

What is causing the blood shortage crisis?

· 10% overall blood donation decline since March 2020.

· 62% drop in college and high school blood drives due to the pandemic. Student donors accounted for ~25% of donors in 2019 accounted for just ~10% during the pandemic.

· Ongoing blood drive cancellations due to illness, weather-related closures and staffing limitations.

· Additional factors like a surge of COVID-19 cases and an active flu season may compound the already bad situation.

At a time when many businesses and organizations across the country are experiencing pandemic challenges, the Red Cross is no different. We are all learning how to live in this new environment, how we spend our time, where we work, how we give back, how we make a difference in the lives of others – donating blood must continue to be part of it.

You can schedule an appointment to donate blood at the Lansing Red Cross Blood and Platelet Donation Center located at 1729 E. Saginaw, Lansing, MI 48912 by visiting https://www.redcrossblood.org/local-homepage/location/lansing-american-red-cross.html or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

You can also find blood drives in your area at https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive. According to the Red Cross, the upcoming Blood Drive at St. Patrick School on January 18th is currently full.

Versiti Blood Center of Michigan, formerly know as Michigan Blood, offers multiple centers in West Michigan. You can find their donation centers at https://www.versiti.org/ways-to-give/our-communities/michigan