LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The American Red Cross, the nation’s largest blood supplier, is sounding the alarm about the blood shortage across the country. The nonprofit humanitarian organization has put out a call for blood donations during January’s National Blood Donor Month, describing the situation as a “matter of life and death.”

The Red Cross says blood and platelet donations are needed now to help alleviate the shortage and ensure lifesaving medical procedures proceed without delay. With one donor being able to save up to three lives, getting more donors is the key to solving this crisis.

Why it matters.

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Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer of the Red Cross says, “One of the most distressing situations for a doctor is to have a hospital full of patients and an empty refrigerator without any blood products.”

He adds, “A person needs lifesaving blood every two seconds in our country – and its availability can be the difference between life and death, however, blood is only available thanks to the generosity of those who roll up a sleeve to donate.”

Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. Whether a patient receives whole blood, red cells, platelets or plasma, this lifesaving care starts with one person making a generous donation. Every day, blood donors help patients of all ages: accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, people with chronic illnesses, and those battling cancer.

With blood donations at a 20-year low, the blood supply has fallen to critically low levels across the state and the rest of the country and more need is anticipated, including in Michigan.

A crisis in Michigan.

“More challenges may lie ahead as the potential for severe winter weather and seasonal illnesses like the flu may compound the dire blood supply situation,”said Barry Siegfried, M.D., medical director of the Red Cross Michigan Region.

In Michigan, the regional arm of the Red Cross provides services to more than 9 million residents, serving the Michigan Region through six local chapters and eight blood donation centers. Those six chapters are in Traverse City, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Flint and Detroit. Blood centers are in Lansing, Flint, Warren, Ann Arbor, Livonia, Riverview, Bloomfield Twp., and Farmington Hills.

Back in September, Versiti Blood Center of Michigan issued an emergency appeal for blood donors. Dr. Dan Waxman, vice president of transfusion medicine and senior medical director at Versiti, urged donors to sign up saying, “This is the lowest our blood inventory has been in over a year, which could mean that blood is not available when it’s needed the most.”

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Dr. Waxman continued, “We are seeing fewer first-time donors walking through our doors, which is adding to an already dangerous situation, and we need the community to step up and donate.”

At the time, the group was trying to maintain a three-day supply of available blood for local hospitals, but only had less than a one-day supply on the shelves.

Win Super Bowl tickets by donating blood

In order to encourage people to donate blood and blood products, the Red Cross is working with the NFL to offer those who donate blood the chance to win a trip to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas at the beginning of February. The Red Cross and the NFL are inviting football fans and blood donors to join their lifesaving team to score big for patients in need by scheduling a blood, platelet or plasma donation appointment now through January 31st.

Those who do will automatically be entered to win the trip for two to Super Bowl LVIII. The prize includes access to day-of in-stadium pre-game activities, tickets to the game, round-trip airfare to Las Vegas, three-night hotel accommodations (Feb. 9-12) plus a $1,000 gift card for expenses.

Blood donation challenges now and in the future.

 Over the last 20 years, the number of people donating blood through the Red Cross has fallen by about 40%. When fewer people donate blood, even small disruptions to blood donations can have a huge impact on the availability of blood products and dramatic consequences for those in need of emergency blood transfusion. That includes the nearly 7,000-unit shortfall in blood donations the Red Cross experienced recently between Christmas and New Year’s Day alone.

Unfortunately, current hospital demand for blood is outpacing incoming donations. In response, the Red Cross had to limit distributions of type O blood products (one of the most transfused blood types) to hospitals in recent weeks.

Additional challenges lie ahead as winter weather and seasonal respiratory illnesses like the flu and COVID-19 may affect future donor turnout compounding the dire blood supply situation that the nation currently faces.

Why are there shortages?

Several factors have contributed to the decline in blood donors as the way in which people engage in the communities where they live, learn and work has evolved over the past two decades. Most recently, COVID-19 accelerated this decline as more people embraced remote work making it challenging to meet people where they are with convenient blood drives.

Additionally, prior to the pandemic, some eligibility changes were implemented to safeguard donors. These changes include raising the minimum hemoglobin thresholds, resulting in an increase in donor deferrals especially among young donors (16–18-year-olds).

More than a decade ago, there were also changes in blood transfusion protocols at hospitals that impacted the demand for blood. These changes have led to a convergence of factors that has made it challenging to keep and grow a motivated donor base to meet patient needs over the past two decades.

Children are in need.

Across the country, children are on hospital floors in desperate need of what blood donations can offer. That includes Ivy Ward’s 9-year-old son Finn who has received what his mom calls “more [blood] products than I ever thought one person could take.”  That was a result of her son being diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2021. “Just in the last two years, he received more than 25 blood products and he’s just one kid,” she says. “The hospital floors are full of kids that need that blood and would otherwise not be able to survive without it.”

A longtime blood donor, Ward is grateful to everyone who gives, so her son Finn – and others in need of treatments – can continue to live. “Without donated blood products, Finn wouldn’t be here today,” says Ivy.

How easy is it to donate blood?

According to Versiti Blood Center of Michigan, the donation process, including registration and testing, takes about an hour. And because a person’s body constantly replaces blood and fluids, blood donation doesn’t take a major toll on the human body.

Versiti also says that roughly 68% of Americans can donate blood, but only about 3 percent do so. If you’d like to save a life and push those numbers up, you can contact the Red Cross to find a blood donation center or blood drive in your area at their website redcross.org.

How can you help?

To donate blood with the Red Cross, a blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.

What does the Red Cross do?

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org.