Severe Blood Shortage, Donors Urgently Needed in Old Saybrook

OLD SAYBROOK, Conn. - March 23, 2020 - PRLog -- An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held on Thursday, March 26, 2020
from 9 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at .the Old *Saybrook Shopping Center in the So Chic storefront (next door to Hallmark) 655 Boston Post Road (and Elm Street)  Old Saybrook CT.

The storefront - 'So Chic' space is being generously donated by the *Old Saybrook Shopping Center.

The American Red Cross now faces a severe blood shortage due to an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations during this coronavirus outbreak. Healthy individuals are needed to donate now to help patients counting on lifesaving blood.

Donating blood is a safe process and people should not hesitate to give or receive blood.
...
No appointment is needed, but it is recommended, and you need to be 17 years old to donate. In addition, all donors must have proper ID and be in generally good health.
Refreshments available. Please give blood, Help save lives.

To schedule an appointment, please call 1-800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767 (tel:%28800-733-2767))
or visit www.redcrossblood.org. (http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.redcross...)

Promotion and Publicity provided by:
CT Fire Police Association as an urgent public service

Facts about Blood Needs:

• Approximately 36,000 units of red blood cells (https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/types-of-blood-donations/blood-components.html) are needed every day in the U.S.
• Nearly 7,000 units of platelets (https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/types-of-blood-donations/blood-components.html) and 10,000 units of plasma (https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/types-of-blood-donations/blood-components.html) are needed daily in the U.S.
• Nearly 21 million blood components (https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/types-of-blood-donations/blood-components.html) are transfused each year in the U.S.
• The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 units.
• The blood type (https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-types.html) most often requested by hospitals is type O.
• Sickle cell disease affects 90,000 to 100,000 people in the U.S. About 1,000 babies are born with the disease each year. Sickle cell patients (https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-types/diversity/sicklecell.html) can require blood transfusions (https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-process/what-happens-to-donated-blood/blood-transfusions.html) throughout their lives.
• According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1.8 million people are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2020. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment (https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-process/what-happens-to-donated-blood/blood-transfusions/reasons-transfusions.html).
• A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood.