Aurora-based Versiti Blood Center of Illinois has issued an emergency appeal for blood donations, saying there is currently a dangerously low supply of blood, officials announced on Monday.
Versiti is a not-for-profit organization that specializes in blood products and services.
Certain blood types have less than a day’s worth of availability, “endangering the lives of local patients,” officials with Versiti said in a press release.
Officials said that summer donations have plummeted to critical levels, with about 4,963 appointments missed in the past month alone.
All blood types are needed, with O-positive and O-negative being the most in demand, according to the release. O-positive is the most common blood type, while O-negative blood is the universal type that can be safely received by all patients in emergencies when the blood type is unknown, officials said.
“We know summer is a challenging time for blood donation, and we plan for it every year, but what we see today is dire,” said Dr. Dan Waxman, vice president of transfusion medicine and senior medical director at Versiti, in the release. “Patients’ lives are at risk. If you are healthy and able, we are pleading with you to donate blood this week.”
In addition to unfilled appointments and a rise in cancellations and no-shows, Versiti’s partner hospitals have required a significant volume of blood this past month to support organ transplant procedures and other traumas, officials said
“The demand for blood simply does not match the number of donors coming through our doors,” added Waxman.
When the local blood inventory gets as low as it is now, it jeopardizes the health and safety of patients who rely on life-saving blood transfusions, according to the release. In some cases, hospitals are forced to postpone surgeries or delay critical treatments, officials said.
There are a number of Versiti donor center locations in the Aurora area, including 1200 N. Highland Ave. in Aurora; 2000 W. State St., Unit 1E, in Geneva; 728 E. Veterans Parkway, Suite 112, in Yorkville; 1297 S. Naper Blvd. in Naperville; and 1140 N. McLean Blvd. in Elgin.
To schedule an appointment to donate blood, call 800-786-4483 or go to versiti.org. Walk-in donors are also welcome.
Donating blood takes about an hour, officials said. Anyone 16 years old or older who is in good health and meets eligibility requirements is encouraged to give, according to the release. Parental consent is required for donors who are 16 years old to donate blood. Donors should bring a photo ID that includes their birth date when they go to donate, officials said.