Blood center Vitalant is begging people with Type O blood to donate as soon as possible, and raffling off a car to sweeten the deal.
The company, which supplies 94 hospitals in Colorado and about 800 others nationwide, said donations dropped about 30% compared to a typical week over the Independence Day week, and haven’t fully rebounded, possibly due to recent extreme heat.
Donations of all blood types dropped, but Type O blood is the most urgent because emergency rooms use it when they don’t know a patient’s blood type, said Brooke Way, spokeswoman for Vitalant.
Type O negative blood is safe for everyone, and O positive is an option for people with any positive blood type. (Blood is categorized based on proteins on the surface of the cells. If someone gets a transfusion with an incompatible type, their body attacks the foreign blood.)
The number of donors also fell short in June, with about 8,000 fewer people rolling up their sleeves than what was needed for a stable blood supply, according to Vitalant. In July, the shortfall totals about 7,500 donors so far.
To donate, visit vitalant.org. The company hasn’t said what type of car it will raffle off, but estimated its value as “up to $30,000.”
The American Red Cross also runs a donation center in Denver, and some hospitals sponsor their own blood drives.
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Originally Published: July 16, 2024 at 10:10 a.m.
