Kristen Hatfield doesn't like to use the word, "desparate," but she says it applies to the situation facing the American Red Cross. Hatfield is a spokesperson for the Red Cross Mid-Atlantic Regional Blood Services. She is a regular guest on my public affairs program, Hampton Roads Topics. Today, she made an emergency appeal for blood donors.
Nationwide, blood donations are down about ten percent from last summer, meaning there are 50,000 less units on the shelves for use in hospitals. Hatfield says the blood supply in Hampton Roads is at its lowest level in 15 years. Reasons for the downturn in donations are unclear, but Hatfield suspects the scorching hot summer we've endured could be keeping potential donors at home.
Another possibility is that many eligible donors talk themselves out of giving for various reasons. Tattoos, cancer treatments, and anemia are most often cited for self-deferrals. Hatfield says Red Cross rules for donors change regularly. Cancer survivors, for example, used to be banned for life, but now they are eligible to donate after they've been cancer free for a year, she says. Anyone with questions about eligibility should call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.
The local Red Cross has partnered with various sponsors for giveaways to blood donors. During August, blood donors in the Mid-Atlantic region will receive a coupon for a free hair cut at Sports Clips locations in Hampton Roads (I suggested that the Red Cross find a way to combine the blood donation with the hair cut...both require a person to be seated. Hatfield said she would work on it.)
To encourage donors to give again, the American Red Cross has created Red Cross Rewards, in which donors earn points each time they give. Those points can then be redeemed for merchandise. People who give blood during the month of August will receive double points, Hatfield says.
For information about donating blood, visit www.RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE
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