LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Red Cross issued its first-ever blood crisis in January, citing low supply levels. And after several blood drives were canceled last week due to winter weather, there's now another push to get more people to donate blood.
Remy Kennedy with the Red Cross said seasonal blood supply shortages are not uncommon. But this time, it's been harder to bounce back.
"We're calling it a crisis because we haven't seen this low of levels in over 10 years," she said. "This is different. We are not able to build it back up like normal. This has been going on since September of last year that we just have not been able to build it back up to a healthy level."
Kennedy said there are several factors, mainly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. She said while schools were virtual, blood drives planned for high schools and colleges didn't take place. She said staffing shortages all around have slowed things down. Also, winter weather has recently forced some blood drives to be called off.
"Last Thursday and Friday, due to the ice storm, we had to cancel 13 blood drives in our region, which resulted in us not collecting 544 blood units," Kenney said. "So that just adds to the crisis."
Kennedy said that's difficult on hospitals that are depending on those units.
As of Monday, Baptist Health, Norton Healthcare and UofL Health said blood shortages had not led to any cancellations of elective surgeries. UofL Health said none of its services were being impacted, despite the nationwide shortage.
A statement from Norton Healthcare on Tuesday said:
"While we have adequate supplies of blood products at this time, we are monitoring supply closely. Thanks to an increase in donations from the community, we have seen our supply levels increase. The concern is less about individual hospital supply, but on the supply available for the entire Louisville Metro area. If multiple patients at multiple hospitals experience emergencies that require blood use on the same day, it could create issues. We still need the community to continue donating blood."
The Kentucky Blood Center in Middletown is actively working to encourage donations, especially among the younger population.
"People just aren't donating," said Brooke Nevius with the Kentucky Blood Center. "Sixty-five percent of our donors are over 55. But right now, we have a critical shortage."
She said at the Kentucky Blood Center, the donations stay within the state, so it's often Kentuckians donating to Kentuckians.
Patrick Conroy comes to the Kentucky Blood Center every other week to donate platelets.
"I've been donating blood and or platelets since 1970," he said.
Conroy said he hopes to be part of the solution in this crisis and he keeps an eye out for updates from the center that let him know someone has received his donation.
"To know that three days after I donated somebody received those platelets in Paducah or Bowling Green or Ashland, it makes me feel good," he said. "It makes me feel like I'm making a difference."
Nevius said the center in Middletown typically sees 15-20 volunteers each day make appointments for blood donations, but she'd like to see about double that amount.
"Three days (blood) supply would be what we normally have in the last few years," she said. "We're down to a half-day supply on the shelf right now."
Nevius is hopeful the situation will turn around.
"Across the country, it is older donors that are coming into donate," she said. "But I do see younger people during this pandemic understanding the importance of donating blood, and that blood can only come from another human being. We can't figure out how to make it, and if they don't step up to the plate, there could be some serious repercussions in the future."
For information on donating blood at the Kentucky Blood Center, click here.
For information on donating blood through the Red Cross, click here.
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