TYPE O AND B BLOOD DONORS NEEDED URGENTLY

Holiday Drop-off in Donations Leads To Dangerous Regional Shortage

(Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2006) ATLANTA – A blood shortage fueled by too few donations has created an urgent need for more Type O and B blood donors, say officials of the American Red Cross Blood Services, Southern Region. The American Red Cross is asking all eligible donors to give blood this week but say it is especially crucial for those with Type O or Type B blood to donate in the next few days without fail.

Type O and Type B are the blood types that most often are in short supply and are needed in hospitals every day. Type O is the universal type that can safely be given to patients of any blood type. It is the blood most frequently transfused as it is used for emergencies when there is no time to type a patient’s blood.

“There is no mystery about why we are now having a blood shortage,” says Randy Edwards, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Blood Services, Southern Region. “The end of year holidays are a time when fewer people give blood, while just as many patients, sometimes more than usual, must have life-saving transfusions to survive.” 

“We appreciate the generosity of all blood donors and hope that many of them will start off the new year by giving blood and helping to save a life. There is a special need, though, for Type O and B blood and we ask that donors with those types make it a top priority to donate right away,” says Edwards.  

There are never enough blood donations made in Georgia to provide adequate blood for the patients in this state and blood must be brought in from other states routinely to meet the need here. During the holidays when donations drop, the region’s blood supply dips to dangerously low levels and the need for donors becomes urgent.

For more information, to find a blood drive near you or to make a donation appointment, please call 1-800-GIVE LIFE (448-3543) or visit www.givelife.org. Blood donors must be age 17 or older and weigh at least 110 pounds. The Southern Region supplies blood to 140 hospitals and healthcare facilities in the state.

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