COLUMBUS, Ohio — Blood donations could mean the difference between life and death for some patients, and right now, blood suppliers are facing challenges.
What You Need To Know
- Blood donations are down 40% in 2021
- The pandemic is part of the problem
- Mobile drives have been canceled
Ohio blood supplier Versiti reported blood donations are down 40% in 2021. Director of Donor Services Heather Sever said the pandemic is playing a major role.
“Most of our drives are mobile drives,” said Sever. “So we’re going out to businesses, to churches, to schools and those have all been closed, so we’re not getting as many collections there.”
Sever said donations usually drop during the warmer months, too.
“We do find summer time there’s usually a decline in donations because everyone is on vacation, schools are out and people are outside doing other things than coming in and donating,” she said.
While she said the blood supply is lower, there’s always a need for it.
“There is always still a need,” Sever said. “There is no substitute for blood.”
Austin Mooney of Columbus underwent a double heart and lung transplant this year. He was only on the transplant waiting list for two days. His wife, Larisa, said getting enough blood was more challenging than getting the organs.
“There were many times before he had his surgery they would give him blood to make sure he had enough because he was struggling to make enough,” said Larisa Mooney.
She said she went to donate several times while her husband was in the hospital, and she’s urging others to do the same.
“So many people asked us when he was in the hospital, ‘What can we do?’ And I just told them ‘Go donate blood,’” Larisa Mooney said.
For more information on how to donate blood through Versiti Ohio visit its website.
