BUFFALO, N.Y. — Heading into the holiday weekend, giving blood is probably the last thing on your mind. But local blood banks and hospitals are urging the community to donate before they celebrate, and offering some incentives to do so.
Blood supply has been down since the pandemic, with fewer donation drives happening at schools and workplaces. The need has skyrocketed in recent weeks, with more people scheduling elective surgeries again, and an influx of trauma patients from events such as gunshots and car accidents. ECMC's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Brian Murray, says this is a nationwide problem, and leading some hospitals to be forced to shut down elective surgeries, which hasn't happened here yet.
"These are some of the challenges we're facing, and we have managed to keep things going, but it's often a day-to-day count," he told 2 On Your Side, reporting that the hospital often only has enough blood supply to last a few days. "In fact, I get updated every morning here at the hospital on what our available blood products are on the shelf, and obviously if they were run too low, we might have to consider cutting back on some of the things, short of emergencies."
Hospitals are always looking for Type O blood, especially for trauma patients before their blood type is known. But ConnectLife's Sr. Director of Donor Recruitment, Amanda Farrell, says donors with all blood types and backgrounds are needed.
"Western New York is a diverse community, so there's a diverse base of patients going into hospitals who may need blood products for various things, it's not only traumas," she told 2 On Your Side. "It's not only accidents and surgeries. It's people battling chronic illness, chronic forms of leukemia, of certain autoimmune diseases, sickle cell anemia. These are people that may need transfusions every 6-8 weeks for life in order to maintain a quality of life. So because we have such a diverse patient base, we need a diverse donor base. So throughout all of our regions and of all ethnic backgrounds, it's really important that we have that blood on the shelves for all the people that need it," she said.
The ConnectLife Bus will be parked outside City Hall in Niagara Square on Thursday, July 1st from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for donations.
The ConnectLife neighborhood donations centers will also be open on Friday, July 2nd and Saturday, July 3rd, and anyone who donates those days will be entered to win a pair of tickets to the Blue Jays game at Sahlen Field on July 19th.
Click here or call (716) 529-4300 for more information and to make an appointment.