Red Cross officials are asking all eligible donors to make a donation as soon as possible.  

It is especially crucial for type O and type B blood donors to give blood within the next few days.  Type O negative blood is the universal donor type and can be given to all patients. It is commonly used to treat trauma victims, pregnant women and newborns.

“The recent harsh weather has made it difficult to collect the blood needed to supply the region,” said Randy Edwards, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Blood Services, Southern Region. “The need for life-saving transfusions does not stop for inclement weather. Patients throughout the region are depending on donors to come out and give blood.”

Expected stormy conditions over north Georgia this weekend could further impact blood collections. The Southern Region needs 1,200 blood donations each weekday in order to adequately supply more than 130 hospitals and health care facilities. However, this goal is seldom achieved, and blood must be brought in from other regions to routinely meet the needs here.  

“Because we rely on other states to help maintain our blood supply, severe weather in other parts of the country can impact our ability to meet the needs of area hospitals,” added Edwards.

There are several blood drives scheduled for the month of April that are open to the public. They include the following:
• April 7, Marlow Elementary 12:30-7 p.m.
• April 11, Effingham Hospital 1-6 p.m.
• April 25, Georgia Pacific Savannah River Mill 3:30-9:30 p.m.
• April 28, Effingham Recreational Department 2-7 p.m.

Please call Heather Mathews at (912) 429-9956 or visit www.redcrossblood.org to find the nearest blood drive or donor center. Donors must be age 17 or older and weigh at least 110 pounds. Blood can be donated every 56 days, and platelet donations can be made every two weeks, up to 26 times a year. Donors can only donate at age 16 with a parental consent form.