Two days of deep and drifting snow are doing more than clobber Quad Cities commutes. They are heavily impacting the area’s life-giving blood supply, according to the area’s regional blood center.
ImpactLife Donor Centers estimated this morning, Jan. 10, that at least 500 blood donations had already been lost due to to blood drive cancellations and missed appointments in the snowstorm that swept through the Quad Cities
That’s double the 250 donations ImpactLife estimated had been lost by 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9. With more snow expected later in the week as well as bitter cold in the forecast by week’s end, the loss of blood donations is likely to continue to climb.
The fallout from such a heavy loss of blood donations will go well beyond the Quad Cities proper as hazardous travel conditions across portions of ImpactLife’s local service region continue to take a toll on donations, ImpactLife said in a release.
“With just a 1.5-day supply of type O-positive red blood cells and a one-day supply of type O-negative, we are very concerned about blood inventory levels, especially with more snow and frigid temperatures in the forecast,” Kirby Winn, Impact Life’s public relations manager, said in an email to Quad Cities media today.
To make up for that growing shortfall, he said “We are asking all eligible donors who can travel safely to schedule an appointment, give blood and help ensure our ability to meet patient needs for the hospitals we serve.”
Upcoming extreme winter weather also is likely to continue to force cancellations of a large number of blood drives on top of the many donors who have been unable to keep scheduled appointments at ImpactLife.
Patient care never stops
Meanwhile, Amanda Hess, vice president, ImpactLife donor relations and marketing, said in the release: “Patient care never stops, and that means the use of blood remains constant even as we see canceled blood drives and missed appointments due to the snowstorm.”
Donors seeking to make up for the loss are urged to find a nearby Donor Center or mobile blood drive by calling (800) 747-5401, or schedule online at www.bloodcenter.org, or with the ImpactLife mobile app (www.bloodcenter.org/app).
To thank donors who give blood during January’s National Blood Donor Month, ImpactLife said it will provide all current donors a voucher to redeem for an electronic gift card of the donor’s choice, 500 bonus points to use in the Donor Rewards Store, or an equivalent donation to the National Forest Foundation. (Learn more at www.bloodcenter.org/now.)
ImpactLife is a nonprofit community organization providing blood services to more than 120 hospitals and emergency medical service providers in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin, as well as resource sharing partners across the country.
Services extend from south-central Wisconsin to St. Louis, Missouri, and from Danville, Illinois, to Chariton, Iowa.
Find a map of the ImpactLife service region here. ImpactLife operates 23 Donor Centers and holds approximately 5,000 mobile blood drives annually to provide blood components needed for patient transfusions at hospitals throughout our region.
For more information on blood inventories and donor promotions, see www.bloodcenter.org and find @impactlifeblood on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
