The National Red Cross says its blood supply is at a ten-year low because of the severe winter weather. Tennessee residents are being asked to help.
The Red Cross says it canceled 14,000 appointments across the country this month because people are snowed in. That means thousands of lost pints of blood that hospitals and trauma centers were relying on.
The dwindling supply forced Red Cross officials to put out a nationwide call for blood donations. Tennessee Valley Region spokeswoman Joette Phillips says the mid-state’s blood supply is also low, but not compared to other parts of the country.
“When we’ve seen snow storms here, we’ve seen it travel up the East Coast, where those folks are snowed in New York and that area…collection sites there and blood drives have been canceled so, we’re just acting now before there’s a real emergency and the blood runs out.”
Phillips urges those who can donate blood make an appointment first. She also says despite Tuesday night’s snow in the midstate, all blood donations centers are open.
Find the closest donation center to you at redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.
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