The American Red Cross is asking the region to lend their support during the holiday season.
Beginning mid-December, the Red Cross has a critical need for blood donations. According to Thomas Hensley, with the Red Cross, this time of the year sees a decrease of donors with schools getting out for the holidays and individuals taking off work for vacation.
With Mother Nature wreaking havoc, this year has proven more difficult compared to other years, Hensley said.
“All the holiday periods are critical for us,” Hensley added. “But this year’s need really goes far back as Hurricane Matthew to be honest with you. 38 percent of our blood comes from schools – colleges and high schools. When we got through our critical summer months, we thought we’d get a relief but Hurricane Matthew came. I know it hit in North Carolina but part of our Tennessee region is also part of North Carolina. Part of the 103 hospitals we provide blood to includes North Carolina.”
The influx of events caused the Red Cross to hit below their expected amount heading into the Christmas season.
“We were able to catch up after that,” Hensley said. “We then moved into the fire season. We had local fires, nothing like what happened in Gatlinburg and Sevierville, but there were advisories in our area for people that didn’t need to go out, especially with respiratory issues, to not be out in the smoky conditions. Our collections during that fire period … we saw a slight decline.
“We always experience a critical time during Christmas, the new year and the summer months,” Hensley continued. “We try to beef up before those time periods. This wasn’t a surprise to us but we’re at a spot now where we are a little less than we’d like to be at with blood supplies.”
Eligible blood and platelet donors of all types are urged to make an appointment to donate as soon as possible. There are a variety of methods to choose from to schedule an appointment, Hensley added.
Individuals can visit redcrossblood.org, use the Blood Donor App on a phone/tablet, or call 1-800-733-2767.