(April 21, 2021) - Blood Assurance is urging all eligible donors to make an appointment to donate blood as soon as possible to help area patients and hospitals. There is an ongoing massive trauma at one of the hospitals in Blood Assurance’s service areas. This has caused a very critical need for O-positive, O-negative, and A-positive blood types. Blood Assurance has almost zero units of O blood on the shelf. There is also an urgent need for A-negative, B-positive, and B-negative donors at this time. Ideally Blood Assurance has five days’ supply on the shelf at all times to be prepared for the needs of area hospitals and is currently sitting at under ½ day’s supply for most blood types.
“I know we ask for help on a regular basis as we count on volunteer donors daily, but after fourteen years working at Blood Assurance, this is as critical as it gets,” said Dr. Elizabeth Culler, medical director at Blood Assurance. “Our supply was already critically low due to seeing less donors over the last few weeks and this massive trauma has exacerbated that need.”
All type O donors will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card at the time of their donation, Wednesday April 21st – Wednesday, April 28th at all Blood Assurance centers and blood drives. The Cookeville Blood Assurance donor center will be open 7am – 5pm this Thursday - Saturday to offer more appointments for donors to provide for patients in need. All type A, B, and AB donors will receive a $10 Starbucks gift card on Saturday at the Cookeville center. Please visit www.bloodassurance.org/schedule to book an appointment.
Blood Assurance is continuing to take extra precautions at this time to ensure the safety of donors and staff. Staff and donors are required to wear masks and staff are frequently disinfecting all items and surfaces used by donors. Blood donation is essential to the infrastructure of healthcare and the only way to ensure patients have the blood they need is for people to donate. Blood cannot be manufactured and all blood used in community hospitals is from volunteer donors. Donors who have received a Moderna, Pfizer, or Johnson & Johnson vaccine are eligible to donate blood with no waiting period. Blood donated by individuals who have received the vaccine is completely safe for patient transfusion.
To be eligible to donate blood, you must be at least 17 years old (16 years old with parental consent), weigh 110 pounds or more and be in good health. Donors are asked to drink plenty of fluids — avoiding caffeine — and eat a meal that is rich in iron prior to donating. To schedule an appointment or find a donor center or mobile drive near you, please visit www.bloodassurance.org/schedule, call 800-962-0628 or text ‘BAGIVE’ to 999777
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