BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The American Red Cross is issuing an urgent call for blood donors as a summer shortage pushes the local supply to near-critical levels.
The Red Cross says summer is one of the most challenging times of year to maintain adequate blood supplies. Vacations pull regular donors away, college campuses — a major source of blood drives — are on break, and blood has a shelf life of only about 45 days, requiring a constant flow of new donations to keep hospitals stocked.
The CEO of the Red Cross in Western New York said the situation is serious.
"Right now we're a couple days away from a critical level where we may only have a two day supply. So what we need to do is stay in contact with hospitals so they can make the best decisions for their patients. People who are coming into the hospital due to an accident, or we're talking about a planned surgery or planned event. Those hospitals need to make decisions on the care they can provide," explained Nick Bond.
Anyone who wants to help can download the Red Cross app to find the nearest blood drive. Donors can also use the app to track their blood after donating to see where it goes and who it helps.
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