Red Cross: Blood Emergency, Give Now

(WHBC) – The American Red Cross is experiencing a blood emergency, and is asking people to make an appointment to donate.

Tim Reichel, with the Stark County Chapter of the Red Cross says donors they rely on get busy over the holidays and forget to donate.

“They kind of put that up on the shelf over the holidays, but we need people to get back on the bike, so to speak, and to start donating again.”

He says blood requirements never go away and there’s a critical need for blood every year in January due to the drop of donations around the holidays.

With the forecasted snowstorm this weekend, he knows people might not be able to donate then, but once the snow is cleared he’s hoping people contact the Red Cross to set up an appointment.

Reichel says one woman needed two surgeries and 17 transfusions to save her life after internal bleeding after giving birth.

He says she might not be alive today if people had not taken the time to donate blood.

There will be a blood drive at the Stark County District Library north branch in Canton on January 25th.

To donate, call 800-RED-CROSS or click here.