The agency says there’s an emergency blood shortage.
Baltimore, Md. There’s an emergency blood shortage in the region and the rest of the country. That’s according to the American Red Cross which is calling on as many people as possible to roll up their sleeves and give blood.
Regina Boothe Bratton with the Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Blood Services Region of the Red Cross, says a lot of it was due to the Independence Day Holiday, when a lot of donors were on vacation, or taking part in summer activities and forgot to give blood as they regularly do. “Last year in 2017, we were down by 1469 units. That’s 1400 collections we did not take in that we rely on to take in,” she says.. “This year, during that same time period, we were down nearly 3,000. The number is actually is actually a negative 2,942.”
Bratton calls that “a huge downgrade for us.”
She says about 53 hospitals in Washington DC, Maryland and northern Virginia rely on the Red Cross to supply blood for patients’ surgeries, such as those with serious injuries from car crashes. “We do not have the blood types that we need on the shelves right now. Our inventory is almost non-existent. So we need you to come out and donate blood,” says Bratton.
The type that’s needed the most is O-Negative, she says. “Emergency room doctors do not have the time to test for blood types. O-Negative is the universal donor. So they reach for O-Negative when treating trauma patients. And that’s why that blood type is so important,” Bratton says.
But the Red Cross says it will take donations of all blood types.
Donors need to weigh at least 100-pounds and be in good health. To make a donation, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or go on line to RedCrossBlood.org.
The Red Cross is sponsoring blood drives in these following locations in our area:
Frederick
Emmitsburg
7/12/2018: 2:30 p.m. – 8 p.m., Emmitsburg Company 26 Ambulance, 17701 Creamery Rd.
Frederick
7/9/2018: 11:15 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/10/2018: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Frederick County Public School System, 191 South East Street
7/10/2018: 11:15 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/11/2018: 11:15 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/13/2018: 7:45 a.m. – 3 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/14/2018: 7:45 a.m. – 3 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/15/2018: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/16/2018: 11:15 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/17/2018: 11:15 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/18/2018: 11:15 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/20/2018: 7:45 a.m. – 3 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/21/2018: 7:45 a.m. – 3 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/21/2018: 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., The Frederick Keys, 21 Stadium Dr.
7/22/2018: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/23/2018: 11:15 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/24/2018: 11:15 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/25/2018: 11:15 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/25/2018: 1:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Calvary UMC-Frederick, 131 W Second St.
7/27/2018: 7:45 a.m. – 3 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/28/2018: 7:45 a.m. – 3 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/29/2018: 7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/30/2018: 11:15 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
7/31/2018: 11:15 a.m. – 6:15 p.m., Frederick Blood Donation Center, 141 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 120
Middletown
7/13/2018: 12:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., Middletown UMC, Middletown UMC, 7108 Fern Circle
Monrovia
7/14/2018: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Bush Creek Church of the Brethren, 4821A Green Valley Road
Mount Airy
7/16/2018: 2 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Mt Airy Volunteer Fire Co. Activities Ground, 1008 Twin Arch Road
7/17/2018: 2 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Calvary UMC-Mt Airy, 403 S Main St.
Thurmont
7/23/2018: 2 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Our Lady Of Mt Carmel Church, 103 N Church St.
Walkersville
7/25/2018: 2 p.m. – 8 p.m., Walkersville Volunteer Rescue Company, 73 W Frederick St.
By Kevin McManus