The Red Cross is asking people to consider donating blood as they are seeing record lows in their blood supply levels.
The Red Cross provides 40 percent of the country's blood supply, and with the low levels that they're seeing right now, the worry is that patients that are in need of a transfusion may have to wait.
There are several blood drives in our area coming up, and the Red Cross stresses the importance of blood donations, especially as hospitals are seeing so many patients.
"We have a surging need at our hospitals, and things like accidents don’t stop, as well as labor pregnancies that might need blood transfusions," said Olivia Lusher, executive director of the Northeast Indiana Red Cross. "There are just so many different ways that people can help save and improve the lives of others, because disasters don’t stop. Even just through the pandemic, being able to help your peers get that resiliency level is really the call to action today."
You can check on RedCrossBlood.org to see all of the upcoming drives in our area and make an appointment. The Red Cross asks that donors who have been vaccinated for COVID-19 let them know which vaccine you received, but you don't need to be vaccinated to donate.
