Versiti, a blood provider for 87 hospitals in the state, announced Michigan is experiencing a critically low emergency blood supply.
Kristin Paltzer, a Versiti communications manager, said for some blood types, the nonprofit has less than a one-day supply available.
To address the blood shortage in Midland, Versiti will have a Great Lakes Loons Community Blood Drive from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 18 at Dow Diamond Stadium, Visitor Clubhouse.
“We encounter lower donation rates during holiday, summer months, (when) people are active, busy, having fun,” Paltzer said. “In addition to the fact that during the summer months, when people are out celebrating, there’s more travel, there’s more chance for accidents.”
Versiti needs 4,000 donors across Michigan in the next week, Paltzer said, to stabilize the state's blood supply.
“(If we're unable to find donors), what happens is that we start to have tough conversations with our hospital partners, where it can mean that elective surgeries have to get delayed or rescheduled,” she said. “It could mean that if somebody comes in, that blood may not be available for whatever treatment that they need.”
The state is in need of blood type O, both positive and negative
Paltzer said that is because O positive is the most common blood type and O negative is the universal blood type — which means it can be transduced to people with any blood type or if the type is unknown.
In the hospitals, blood is used for traumas from accidents, cancer treatments, surgeries and if complications happen when giving birth, Paltzer said. For example, she said, there have been several organ transfers in Michigan in the last couple of weeks.
Paltzer said that even though blood providers plan for summer months to be in high demand for donations, they have encountered a low turnout and cancellations of those who signed up to donate this summer.
Lindsey Chesebro, account representative of Versiti in Midland, said that college students are also their biggest donors, and when they’re out for summer, the numbers drop as well.
“When you donate, one donation helps up to save three lives,” Chesebro said. “That’s pretty incredible.”
Additionally, she said the blood stays local, so when it’s donated, it goes to the local hospital.
Another reason for the shortage of blood supply is that blood can be used only within 42 days from donation, Chesebro said.
“The need is truly constant, and it’s our job to make sure that our local patients in need have this blood product when they need it, and we cannot do that without the amazing efforts of volunteer blood donors,” she said. “We rely on each other to donate blood.”
Chesebro said this is the 10th annual blood drive with the Loons. Participants have the opportunity to win two free tickets to the upcoming home Loons game of their choice.
“We always look forward to adding some fun,” she said. “You get to donate in the guest locker room at the wing stadium and really help us attempt to strike out the blood shortage and make sure we’re supplying for local patients.”
Paltzer said the donation process takes about an hour with 10 minutes of an actual donation.
“It’s relatively easy,” she said. “It’s a pretty low number (of those who donate).”
According to the Red Cross Blood Services data, only 3% of people eligible to donate blood do so yearly.
She also noted a difference that blood is a voluntary donation at blood drives or centers like Versiti while plasma is donated at other places and a person can receive compensation.
If a person is unable or doesn’t want to donate blood, Paltzer said Versiti is encouraging them to ask their church or school to host a blood drive.
