Blood donation centers across the world are celebrating World Blood Donor Day. It’s a day to honor and celebrate those who give blood, saving a countless number of lives in the process.
Blood donation centers across the world are celebrating World Blood Donor Day. It's a day to honor and celebrate those who give blood, saving a countless number of lives in the process.
“Here in the U.S. we also sort of use it as a mark to a challenging time of year. We have the summer months amongst us and that’s typically the time of year where we see less donations while the demand for blood can actually go up,” said Jonathan DeCasanova, with Connecticut Blood Center.
Blood donation centers in Connecticut, like The American Red Cross Connecticut and the Connecticut Blood Center, hope their thank yous go a long way in convincing others to become a donor.
Kim Moreland, with the American Red Cross Connecticut, said the need for blood is constant and daily.
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"There are accidents. There are people who are having surgeries that need blood. There are also people who need blood on a regular basis for a blood disorder. My mom actually had stage 4 Melanoma and due to some complications, she lost a lot of blood and received a lot of blood. Some cancer patients receive blood," she said.
DeCasanova said there is a demand on O positive and O negative blood but all blood types are needed. This is a need that he said most people have the ability to fulfill.
“Around 60% of the population is actually eligible to donate but only 3% do so we want to both recognize the people that actually do come out to give blood but also encourage folks that may not ever consider it,” he explained.
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Red Cross and Connecticut Blood Center agree that blood donations are crucial during the summer as there are less donations and an increased need for blood.
At Connecticut Blood Center, there are even emptier shelves right not as donations have decreased.
“I don’t know if people realize how often we go to high schools to collect blood. We collect at almost every high school in Connecticut throughout the high school year, but once summer comes and high schools and colleges are done, we lose a lot of our regular donors,” Moreland explained.
If you are interested in becoming a donor, Moreland and DeCasanova said there are blood drives happening all across the state.
Go to redcrossblood.org or ctblood.org to find out when and where to donate.
Moreland added that the American Red Cross holds blood drives seven days a week and for those who donate now through June 30, there is an incentive of an e-gift card of $15 to a merchant of your choice.
