Blood badly needed by American Red Cross

MADDUX

The American Red Cross has issued a national emergency appeal for blood donations after two critical shortage pleas have been largely ignored.

Anyone interested in helping locally can do so immediately as the Red Cross is holding a blood drive today at McMinnville Civic Center from 12 to 6 p.m.

“We don’t want to cry wolf,” said Debby Maddux, executive director of Warren County’s chapter of the Red Cross. “We are concerned for patient safety. We don’t want surgeries postponed or canceled because blood wasn’t available.”

The local Red Cross has only a one-day supply in most blood types.

While 60 percent of the population is eligible to give blood, the Red Cross reports only 5 percent do. To be eligible, a donor must be healthy, at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and must not have given blood in the last 56 days.

Traditionally, summer is when the blood supply dips to its lowest level. In addition to increased traffic on interstates, and more accidents, people don’t usually make giving blood a high priority when on vacation.