20 July 2006

GRAND RAPIDS: All regions in the Michigan Community Blood Centers network statewide urgently need people with all blood types, and especially those with type O, to donate blood.Low blood collections plus a cluster of high-need cases early this week have drained the Michigan Community Blood Centers inventory to half its normal level, necessitating the emergency appeal, according to Lee Ann Weitekamp, medical director.Many blood donors and blood drive sponsors are busy with seasonal activities, or they’re on vacation, so they’re less available to host blood drives and give blood. Besides this usual seasonal pattern, we have had unexpected demands for blood this week that have depleted our blood inventory to the point where we’re temporarily having to limit the amount of blood we send to hospitals.” Any healthy person 17 or older who weighs 110 pounds or more may be eligible to give blood every 56 days. Michigan Community Blood Centers operates many permanent donation centers across the state, and also conducts mobile blood drives in many counties. For a complete list of donation sites and blood drives, visit www.miblood.org.  Michigan Community Blood Centers, a nonprofit blood bank, provides 100% of the regular blood supply for 22 hospitals in 4 Michigan regions with a combined population of more than 1.5 million.

© Michigan Community Blood Centers