American Red Cross needing blood to prevent shortage

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) - The American Red Cross is in need of blood donations to prevent a shortage. News Source 8′s Isaac Potter talks about the importance of donating blood and ways to donate.

”In a recent press release from the Northern New England region office from the American Red Cross, they are asking for blood donations to prevent blood shortage. In recent weeks, the decline in donation has caused the blood supply to shrink nearly 20%. Caroline King, the Executive director in the Northern/ Eastern Maine area, says that this isn’t just a seasonal issue, but an issue that the Red Cross deals with year round.

Caroline King, Executive Director at American Red Cross in Northern/Eastern Maine, says “Blood only has a limited shelf life, and so everyday we need to collect blood. We need folks to continue to come out, if folks have made an appointment we encourage them to keep that appointment. Because we are counting on them.”

The American Red Cross says the availability of blood products will continue to decline if donations do not increase, and that they need donors to make an appointment as soon as possible for the month of August. King says they are always in need for volunteers to come out and donate.

Caroline King: “Blood is used for accidents, hospitalizations, surgery, cancer treatments, childbirth,. You can’t make it, you can’t manufacture it, it has to come from a volunteer who has given that blood donation.”

While the American Red Cross is in need of blood donations, King explains that Aroostook County has come through with scheduling an appointment in the month of August.

Caroline King: “Our drives in Fort Kent, Caribou, and Presque Isle are already full for the third week of August. We could really use however the folks in and around Houlton to come out on August 19th.”

Donors can be able to schedule an appointment to donate by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCross.org, or calling 1-800-RED-CROSS. King mentions that if you need to cancel your appointment to please plan ahead and so someone else can have that time.

Isaac Potter, News Source 8.

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