A continuing decline in blood donations and increased patient use leaves The Blood Center with a near all-time low of type O blood.

This followed a national trend which forced The Blood Center to extend hours and add additional blood drives going into Easter weekend to maintain hospital needs.

Billy Weales, president and CEO for The Blood Center, said there’s nothing available throughout the country.

“Many areas are still experiencing adverse weather conditions, impeding their ability to collect blood,” Weales said.

“We need our community to take care of our own. We need the public to respond now to replenish supplies, as emergencies occur every single day.

“We cannot manufacture blood and it does not grow on trees. Hospitals count on blood donors to save lives. We’re extending hours and partnering with local businesses to replenish an already declining supply.”

The Blood Center urges families, businesses, community and religious organizations to host blood drives or visit a donor center as a team to help stabilize the community blood supply.

Every three seconds, someone needs blood. Maintaining a stable blood supply for area patients means The Blood Center must collect between 300 to 350 pints of blood every day.

“Over the weekend we learned about a patient who used an entire day’s supply of blood in a matter of hours. We had to move blood from multiple hospitals to save this patient’s life,” says Ian Stephens, Vice President of Hospital Resources for The Blood Center.

“All it takes is one or two events to put us in a critical situation like this and we need our friends and neighbors to come forward today to donate blood.”

For more information on blood donation, please call 800-86-BLOOD or visit TheBloodCenter.org.

Find The Blood Center on social media at @TheBloodCenter.

The Blood Center, a nonprofit organization led by a volunteer Board of Directors, is the primary supplier of blood and blood components to more than 30 area hospitals and outpatient facilities throughout Southeast Louisiana and Southern Mississippi.

— Submitted by Paul Adams of The Blood Center