Red Cross has a shortage of blood

LIMA - Larry Johns has been donating blood for the past 30 years because "it's just the right thing to do."

Officials at the American Red Cross said they hope more in the community will share in Johns' desire to help save lives during the current blood shortage.

According to David Collins, the executive director of the American Red Cross Allen County Chapter, the agency has a two-day supply of blood, with six of eight types being at less than a day supply.

"We like to have a three to five day supply of blood on hand at all times," Collins said, "with three being the absolute minimum. If we fall below that three-day benchmark we are considered in a shortage, which we definitely are right now."

Amanda Banks, the communications manager for the Indiana-Ohio Region of the Red Cross, said that in this region, there is a serious need for both Type A-negative and Type O-negative blood. Type A-negative is down to a three-hour supply, and Type O-negative, the universal donor type, is down to a four-hour supply.

In order to meet the three-day supply minimum, Banks said the agency needs 500 donations a day.

"We just need more people to give it a try," Banks said. "About 38 percent of the population is eligible to give blood, but only 8 percent actually does."

Jean Sell and Katie McCullough have been part of that 8 percent for the past five years. Working as volunteers at the blood drive held Monday at the American Legion in Wapakoneta, Sell and McCullough said they donate every time a blood drive is held there - about four times a year.

Collins said that although the shortage is from several factors, most of the blame falls on the season.

"People are taking summer vacations, school's not in session, and oftentimes folks will choose to have elective surgeries down during their summer breaks," he said. "Donating blood is just often not at the forefront of people's minds in the summer."

Banks said that high schools and colleges being out of session plays dramatically into the shortage, since they are the source of 14 percent of the donations in the region.

"It's an on and off again type of thing," Collins said. "One month the supply might be sufficient and then the next it will drop way down. It's an ongoing education that we have to continually engage the public in. You are allowed to donate every 56 days and we just hope that people start to take advantage of that to keep our levels adequate."

Banks added that you must also be at least 17 years old, 110 pounds, and in general good health to donate.

The biggest concern of American Red Cross officials during this shortage is that they won't be prepared for emergencies. Collins said their main objective is to get the blood to the area hospitals where it is needed most.

"A trauma patient may need up to 40 pints of blood," Banks said, "so that means 40 volunteers need to come in and donate just to help that one person."

Banks stressed that by donating once you could save up to three lives, because they separate the blood into red blood cells, platelets and plasma, because different people need different parts.

"I think most people are motivated to donate just by the impact it makes on someone else's life," Banks said. "You get to walk away knowing you helped save lives by giving about an hour of your time."

For those who need further motivation, the American Red Cross is now reaching out in new ways. Monday in Wapakoneta, those who entered the American Legion to donate were eligible to win a $50 gas gift card. Sell also said that free T-shirts are often given away at blood drives.

Johns, who donated at the Wapakoneta locale, was wearing last year's T-shirt and hoping for a new one.

Sell and McCullough said they expected about 25 individulas to donate Monday.

"We just encourage people to keep donating," Collins said. "It takes about an hour and the events are always air conditioned so it's a very comfortable environment. It's an extremely rewarding process since you walk away knowing you helped your local community."