As part of National Blood Donor Month, elected officials and others join the Blood Bank of Delmarva to promote giving blood.
"We encourage everyone to donate because truly some would not be here without it," said Shane Simmons - mother of five-year-old Maverick Ford Painter, who needed a blood transfusion as an infant to survive.
She and blood donors spoke Thursday about the importance of giving blood.
It’s part of the Blood Bank of Delmarva’s month-long effort with hospital leaders and others to bring awareness for the critical need of blood donations.
Dr. Bruce Sachais is the medical director for the Blood Bank of Delmarva.
"Depending on the blood type it's at various levels but our O- blood is particularly low and that's commonly one of the more precious blood types. We can use that for traumas when patients are in the hospital, and they haven't had their blood type done yet,” said Sachais. “We can use that O- blood for those patients, and so it gets used more than the blood type exists."
Only 6% of the population has O- blood, but the Blood Bank aims to have 7-to-10% of the blood supply and donations to be O-. Sachais says that helps keep them even.
If eligible, you can donate blood every 56 days, and the Blood Bank is asking individuals to donate at least once per season in 2024 - and bring a family member or friend to donate.
The Blood Bank of Delmarva says the donations are used for blood transfusions that help cancer patients, accident, burn, or trauma victims, laboring mothers, newborn babies, and more.
According to the Blood Bank, over 60% of the population is eligible to donate, but only 3% actually does. The Blood Bank says if that increased by 1% it would end blood shortages in the U.S.
Winter is a difficult time for donations because of the holidays and bad weather, but Blood Bank of Delmarva medical director Dr. Bruce Sachais says it’s important to give year round.
"All times of year it's critical to get blood donors because without blood donors we can't manufacture blood products that are needed by almost every type of patient in the hospital at some point or another, and as we heard today one in three people in this country will need a blood transfusion at some point. So if we don't have people donating we can't manufacture those life-saving products," said Sachais.
You can call the Blood Bank of Delmarva, or go to their website for more information about blood donation or to make an appointment.
