Puget Sound Blood Center has issued an urgent appeal for blood donors to take just one hour between now and January 5, 2014 to give blood. The number of people visiting donation centers and mobile drives goes down by 30 percent or more during the holiday season – with high schools and colleges on break, and people busy with vacations, family gatherings and social events. PSBC serves 75 hospitals throughout the Puget Sound region and needs to collect 900 donations every weekday to ensure a stable supply of blood components. Patients having major surgeries, organ transplants, receiving trauma care or cancer treatment can quickly deplete the supply during the holidays.
”We’re asking people to schedule just one hour…to donate blood,” said David Leitch, director of donor and volunteer resources for PSBC. “That will carry us through the holidays so we can avoid an emergency shortage down the road if blood supplies become depleted, especially if we’re hit with snowy weather.”
There is a specific need for O-negative blood donors: ’universal donors’ whose blood can be given to patients with any other blood type. There are 11 donor centers in Western Washington. Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. Click here to make an appointment, or call 1-800-398-7888.