(Joplin, MO) – Community Blood Center of the Ozarks (CBCO), the sole provider of blood, platelets, and plasma to patients at more than 40 area hospitals, is issuing a critical need for O negative blood donors. The current supply is critically low, with less than one day’s worth of O negative blood available, a dangerously low level that puts patient care at risk.
Type O negative blood is vital in trauma and emergency situations when there is no time to determine a patient’s blood type. It is the universal blood type used when every second counts.
Hospital blood usage is increasing, reaching the highest levels CBCO has seen in a decade. “We are seeing a concerning trend of increased blood usage at our local hospitals, and our supply is struggling to keep up with the demand, the highest it has been in ten years,” said Michelle Teter, Media Relations Representative for CBCO. “We need our community to respond now. If you are eligible to donate, please don’t wait. Your donation could be the difference between life and death for someone in crisis.”
CBCO urges all eligible donors, especially those with O negative blood, to schedule an appointment or visit a donor center or mobile blood drive immediately.
To find a donation location or to make an appointment, click here or call 417.227.5006.
CBCO reminds everyone that they are eligible to donate blood every 56 days, or six times per year, a frequency that only a small percentage of donors achieve.
“Most donors only give once or twice per year,” Teter shared. “If most donors would just increase their donations by one per year, we could avoid blood shortages. That includes first-time donors who are willing to step up and give this lifesaving gift for the very first time.” CBCO also shared that while approximately 62 percent of the population is eligible to donate blood, only three percent actually do.
All donors will receive a limited edition “Go Wild. Give Blood” T-shirt and a voucher for two free admissions to Dickerson Park Zoo, a $38 value.
Donors must be at least 16 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds, be in good health and may not have given blood in the past 56 days.
About Community Blood Center of the Ozarks:
Community Blood Center of the Ozarks is the exclusive provider of blood, plasma, and platelets to patients at 44 area Ozark hospitals in southwest Missouri, northwest Arkansas, and southeast Kansas. More than 50,000 donations of blood are required each year to meet the local transfusion needs of our friends and neighbors.
Reference:
Michelle Teter, Media Relations Representative
Community Blood Center of the Ozarks
417.227.5367
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