Red Cross: Blood supply at 15-year low

SAUGUS – It?s been a “grueling” summer for the American Red Cross, said spokesperson Donna M. Morrissey on Monday, as blood supplies have dropped to the lowest level in 15 years.?Depending on the shortage, sometimes we have to cut shipments to area hospitals,” said Morrissey. “But we try to avoid that as much as possible ? If just three more people would come into each Red Cross blood drive we have across the country, then we would have enough to meet the needs of hospitals and patients. We hope people will make giving blood part of their schedule of events this August.”Morrissey cited “a number of factors” that have contributed to the drop in supply, including the hot weather, vacations and school recess for the summer.?Schools represent 15 percent of our collection,” Morrissey said.Morrissey said donations have increased since the Red Cross issued an emergency appeal for blood in June, but noted they still “need more help to get back to the levels we feel more comfortable with.”?This summer has been a tough one,” Morrissey said. “But the good news is when the Red Cross puts the word out, people do respond. We have seen response but people need to keep coming in. Whether you can give blood or you encourage family, a friend, a neighbor, it all counts.”Blood has a shelf life of 42 days, according to Morrissey, while platelets have a shelf life of just five days, which means the blood supply needs to be continuously replenished.?That means we have to use the blood within that time,” Morrissey said. “We monitor the supply on a daily basis very closely to see exactly where we?re at. We?re hoping the generous people of Massachusetts and across the country will come out and give the gift of life.”Jean Graham, spokesperson for North Shore Medical Center in Salem, said so far there hasn?t been any problems with supply.?We have been getting our standing orders without interruption,” she said.Graham said the hospital has scheduled a blood drive on Aug. 31 in room Davenport 102B from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and noted an additional drive will be held at Union Hospital in Lynn, but has not been scheduled yet.?The Red Cross has requested that we try to hold additional drives to increase donations,” said Graham.To help spur donations, the Red Cross is also giving away free tickets to New England Revolution soccer matches to donors at its donation centers in Massachusetts.Additional drives will be held on:? Aug. 16 at the Salem Masonic Temple from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.? Aug. 25 at the Lynch Van Otterloo YMCA in Marblehead from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.? Aug. 29 at the Nahant Knights of Columbus from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.? Aug. 30 at Blessed Sacrament in Saugus from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.? Aug. 31 at Hannaford?s in Peabody from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.For more information visit redcrossblood.org.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].