Blood Bank of Delmarva Issues Urgent Call for Blood Donations as Hurricane Ian Ravages Florida
Donations are needed to support blood centers impacted in Florida and the Southeast
DELMARVA โ Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD) is calling on Delmarva residents to donate blood amid a catastrophic hurricane hitting the coast of Florida. Donations are needed locally and in anticipation of humanitarian efforts that will be necessary to support our southern neighbors. These donations are essential to maintaining a stable supply of blood and platelets in impacted regions, which can help save lives and ensure patient needs continue to be met throughout this difficult time.
On Tuesday, Hurricane Ian made landfall along the southwestern coast of Florida as a powerful Category 4 storm. Experts say it is one of the strongest hurricanes to make landfall on the west coast of Florida.
In a statement released Tuesday, Americaโs Blood Centers said, โThe AABB Interorganizational Task Force on Domestic Disasters and Acts of Terrorism strongly urges eligible individuals in unaffected areas throughout the United States to schedule a blood or platelet donation appointment as soon as possible.โ
Blood is perishable and according to AABB, blood collection organizations nationwide on average had only 1-2 daysโ blood supply heading into the storm. At BBD, the inventory as of Thursday morning was three days whereas the goal is to ideally have a seven-day supply. Anticipated disruptions in blood collections and transportation challenges in Florida and the Southeast throughout the next several days are likely to exacerbate already low inventories, particularly in the affected areas.
โDelmarva residents always step up for each other and now we must help Florida and the Southeast, a region that desperately needs our support,โ said Patricia Killeen, Senior Vice President at Blood Bank of Delmarva. โNow is a critical time to help those in need by making a blood donation. Itโs easy and only takes one hour. This is a dire situation and every donation counts.โ
To make an appointment at a nearby blood drive, donors can call 1-888-8-BLOOD-8 or visit www.DelmarvaBlood.org. Canโt donate blood? You can still support BBDโs mission by texting BBD to 20222 to give $25.
About Blood Bank of Delmarva: Founded in 1954, Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD) is a non-profit community service organization that provides blood and blood products to 19 hospitals on the Delmarva Peninsula. More than 79,000 blood donations are needed in this area each year for about 20,000 patients across the Delmarva Peninsula. Blood Bank of Delmarva merged with New York Blood Center in August 2019. BBD is a member of Americaโs Blood Centers, AABB and Blood Centers of America.
