PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross Blood Services, Penn-Jersey Region is asking blood donors to help area hospital patients. The region's blood supply has been severely impacted and the supply of apheresis platelets, used to control bleeding in cancer treatment and other diseases, has been nearly depleted as a result of the weekend storm.
Due to the severe weather conditions, The American Red Cross was forced to cancel all donor center and blood drive operations in southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey on Sunday, January 23. The loss of hundreds of blood donations, including half of the anticipated apheresis platelet donations Saturday and all anticipated apheresis platelet donations Sunday, has created an emergency situation that could disrupt medical care in the region and put patients at risk.
"Apheresis is the blood donation process that enables us to collect platelets. Platelets are essential to normal blood clotting. An individuals platelets can be seriously depleted during treatment for cancer, leukemia, aplastic anemia and other diseases, and their survival depends on the generous platelet donations of healthy volunteer blood donors who sign up to participate in this very special program," said Brigid O'Neill-LaGier, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Blood Services, Penn-Jersey Region.
This morning the Red Cross had less than a two-day supply of most blood types on-hand to fill hospital orders. The regional blood supply, which serves more than 125 southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey hospitals, must be replenished each day.
"Our medical staff will monitor supplies carefully and work with our hospitals to be sure critical and emergency care is supported while we ask our community for immediate help," said O'Neill.
To make up the loss of donations and to prevent a critical blood shortage, the American Red Cross urgently asks all eligible community members, especially apheresis platelet donors, to donate blood this week, beginning Monday. To schedule an appointment at a location nearest you, please call 1- 800-GIVE LIFE or visit http://www.pleasegiveblood.org/.
"Unless we make up for the lost donations, especially apheresis platelet donations, there will be insufficient platelets available. Due to the widespread effect of the storm, many other American Red Cross blood centers across the country are in a similar situation," said Brigid O'Neill-LaGier. "This is a dangerous because normally we can rely on Red Cross blood centers in other parts of the country to offset our shortfall in local collections."
Most healthy people who are at least 17 years old and weigh 110 pounds or more are eligible to donate every 56 days. Donors can give blood at any one of nearly 200 bloodmobiles sponsored by business and community groups in southeastern Pennsylvania and in New Jersey weekly, or at one of nine community donor centers.
To make an immediate appointment for a Red Cross blood drive this week, please call 1-800-GIVE LIFE (1-800-448-3543), or visit http://www.pleasegiveblood.org/ to find a listing of community blood drives.
American Red Cross Penn-Jersey RegionCONTACT: Kristy Kane, +1-215-451-4240, Cell: +1-215-687-8939; or HollieHavens, +1-215-451-4941, Cell: +1-215-687-8621, both of American Red CrossPenn-Jersey Region
Web site: http://www.pleasegiveblood.org/