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Martin Luther King Jr.
January 10, 2024
2024 Special Edition
Donors Have the Chance to Help Save Lives
Emergency
Blood Shortage
May Delay
Treatment
The American Red Cross
is experiencing an emergency
blood shortage as the nation
faces the lowest number of peo-
ple giving blood in 20 years.
The Red Cross blood supply has
fallen to critically low levels
across the country, and blood
and platelet donors are urged to
make a donation appointment to
help alleviate the shortage and
help ensure lifesaving medical
procedures are not put on hold.
Over the last 20 years, the
number of people donating
blood to the Red Cross has fall-
en by about 40%. When fewer
people donate blood, even small
disruptions to blood donations
– such as the nearly 7,000-unit
shortfall in blood donations the
Red Cross experienced between
Christmas and New Year’s Day
alone – can have a huge impact
on the availability of blood
products and dramatic conse-
quences for those in need of
emergency blood transfusion.
Sandy Thornton with her husband and daughter.
Blood products are currently go-
ing to hospitals faster than blood
donations are coming in, and in
recent weeks, the Red Cross has
had to limit distributions of type
“Small changes in blood do-
O blood products – among the nor turnout can have a huge im-
most transfused blood types – pact on the availability of blood
to hospitals.
products and dramatic conse-
quences for those in need of an
emergency blood transfusion,”
said Dr. Eric Gehrie, execu-
tive physician director for the
Red Cross. “More challenges
may lie ahead as the potential
for severe winter weather and
seasonal illness may compound
the dire blood supply situation.
Donors of all types – especial-
ly those with type O blood and
those giving platelets – are
urged to give now.”
Sandy Thornton, of Dallas,
Oregon, knows firsthand how im-
portant a readily available blood
and platelet supply is. Sandy bat-
tled a rare form of cancer called
Myelodysplastic Syndrome and
Myleo Fibrosis. She received nu-
merous blood and platelet trans-
fusions until eventually needing a
stem cell transplant.
“There are people who can-
not get a stem cell transplant,
which means they face a lifetime
of platelet or blood transfusions.
That’s their life. Blood is a life-
saver no matter how you look at
it. It’s not just about when disas-
ters happen, it’s when people get
sick,” shares Sandy.
Don’t wait – to make an ap-
pointment, download the Red
Cross Blood Donor App, visit
RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-
RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).