Vitalant Blood Donation Center, 710 Leona St. in Elyria, said that blood donations in Northeast Ohio have become a dire need.
As the organization the supplies blood for the Cleveland Clinic, donations are just as vital as ever, especially around the holidays.
Kristen Lane, regional communications manager for Vitalant, said that only 3 percent of the American population gives blood regularly.
Most of the population is eligible to donate, Lane said.
Vitalant is part of a larger network that can allocate blood to different areas in need of donations, she said.
As one of the largest blood collectors in the country, northern states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania tend to have a dire need during the holidays, Lane said.
“We are one of the largest nonprofit blood collection organizations in the United States,” she said. “What sets us apart is that we do not receive any funding from the government or other agencies, so we are totally nonprofit (and) we have a network of blood donation organizations across the United States.”
Giving sooner rather than later can help prevent emergency situations in colder climates, Lane said.
Accidents can happen during the holidays, she said, and having blood on-hand always is more than helpful.
“Giving blood now helps ensure the blood supply is sufficient when severe weather strikes,” Lane said. “Ohio’s winter weather can significantly reduce the number of people who can get out to donate and can sharply reduce the supply available for patients.
“Snow, icy road conditions and cold have historically canceled thousands of donations this time of year.”
The need is especially great for O type blood, along with O-negative type, also known as the “universal donor” type, Lane said.
Hospitals and donation organizations like to keep a five-day supply of blood as often as they can, she said.
“In order to supply the hospitals with the blood that they need, we need 600 blood donations every single day,” Lane said. “The hospitals work really closely with the blood providers, to let them know how much blood they need per hospital.”
Ohio as a whole has a severe need, especially since the coronavirus pandemic, she said.
Even three and a half years after COVID-19 hit Ohio, blood donations still are only a third of what they once were, Lane said.
“(In) Northeast Ohio, we have never really come back to the level of blood that we need, since COVID,” she said. “We were already at a deficit, and since COVID, we have only been getting about a third of the blood we need to provide our hospitals.”
The biggest donors of blood in America are baby boomers, Lane said.
As they transition from being blood donors to blood receivers, she encouraged young people to donate as often as they can.
As incentive for blood donors in the Northeast Ohio area, Lane said Vitalant is offering special “thank you” perks.
“Donors who give through Jan. 5 will receive an exclusive Vitalant ‘Winter Donor’ long sleeve T-shirt redeemable via email plus bonus points in our donor rewards program good for a $15 gift card,” she said.
More information on Vitalant blood drives in Lorain County can be found at vitalant.org.
