Impact Life is nonprofit community blood center serving more than 120 hospitals in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Missouri.
They’re calling for people to give blood during the holidays, predicting a 20 percent decrease in blood donations over the next two weeks of holidays.
But that’s a problem, because even if the supply dips, the demand for blood doesn’t disappear, says Dr. Daniela Hermelin, Impact Life’s Chief Medical Officer.
“Leukemia doesn’t know it’s Christmas,” Hermelin says. “Obstetrical hemorrhage doesn’t know it’s Christmas. We constantly need blood on the shelves.”
While the holidays certainly aren’t helping the situation, blood donations have been down since the pandemic started, says Amanda Hess, Vice President of Impact Life.
“In fact, if you look at the number of first time donors who come through the door every week, we are seeing 100 fewer first time donors every week when you compare right now, 2022, to back in 2019, the year before the pandemic. Many blood centers across the country have lost a significant portion of their donor base that we have not yet been able to get back.”
When people donate blood, most people think that their blood is going to an emergency trauma situation. But Dr. Ryan Jennings, with the HSHS Illinois health system, says that blood can be needed for even the most common medical events.
“The amount of blood that is needed even for obstetrics, I think folks often underestimate pregnancy and the risks of what goes on with pregnancy,” Jennings says. “It’s a big deal, about 3% of pregnant women end up with a blood transfusion by the end of their pregnancy.”
Last January, just a few weeks after the holidays, a coalition of hospitals and blood banks warned of a dire need for blood donations nationwide.
They warned that some blood centers had reported less than a day’s supply of certain blood types. That was a “dangerously low level,” according to a joint statement from America’s Blood Centers, the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies, and the American Red Cross.
This year, Impact Life is giving out gift cards for people who donate during the holidays, hoping that might stimulate more donations.
Laura McGuire, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross of Wisconsin, says right now, their blood supply is stable. But she agrees that this time of year brings unique challenges.
“We know there are weather cancellations, and we also need to be aware of people who might be ill, and are canceling appointments due to the fact that they aren’t feeling well,” McGuire says. “Thirdly, (there is) the fact that people are just busy with the holidays. The idea of blood donation is not at the top of their mind. And of course, another reason that impacts our blood supply is that college and high schools are out of session, and (we) see about 20% of our blood donations come from high school and college students.”
The Red Cross will hold an upcoming holiday blood drive at the Alliant Energy Center. Though scheduled for this Friday, the event may be moved due to the impending blizzard.
The threat of striking Red Cross workers amid the organization’s largest single-day blood drive was critical to a new labor agreement reached last week between the Red Cross and AFSCME Locals 1205 and 1558, reports Spectrum News
To find how you can give blood, head to redcrossblood.org, or bloodcenter.org.
Photo courtesy: Nguyen Hiep / UNSPLASH
