Christine Pope watches her 16-year-old daughter Olivia Pope give blood at the Red Cross’s Wilkes-Barre location. There’s pride in her eyes as her daughter drinks a juice box while the blood bag hooked to her arm fills.
Christine was the recipient of a blood transfusion in the past, which motivates her daughter to continue giving blood. Olivia’s given blood several times before and keeps track of the days so she can go again as soon as she is allowed.
“Being a recipient of a blood transfusion, I think it's wonderful what she's doing,” Christine said. “I think she just wants to help people, no matter where they are or what they're going through.”
For her donation, Olivia will receive a $10 Amazon gift card via email, and her name will be entered in a raffle for a chance to win one of three $5,000 gift cards. Anyone who gives blood through October also will receive the gift card and raffle chance.
These incentives are part of a national push from the Red Cross to encourage people to donate blood to stabilize the nation’s blood supply in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The back- to- back hurricanes left damage across the South. The storms caused displacement, power outages and damage through southern states like Florida and North Carolina.
Far from the path of destruction, Pennsylvanians can help storm recovery efforts by donating blood. The hurricanes pushed the national blood supply to the brink of a shortage.
More than 100 blood drives canceled during and after the hurricanes, leaving large amounts of blood uncollected. Coming off a blood shortage over the summer due to extreme heat, the Red Cross is trying to fortify the national blood supply to avoid another shortage.
“We are urging folks in unexpected areas to give blood or platelets in the days and weeks ahead to avoid another shortage,” said Cristina Maisel, the regional communications manager for the American Red Cross Greater Pennsylvania Region.
While the incentives have brought more people out, many people donate in times of crisis as a way to give back, like Angela Mackin, an oncology nurse from Shaverton.
“I figured with everything that's happening down in the south, we should get out and do it,” Mackin said. “I feel so terrible for those people. And if there's not really much I can do here, if this is something that we could do to help some of the less fortunate folk out down there, then I come out and do it.”
Maisel appreciates the time and donations of blood donors, so she thinks the incentives are just an extra way to show donors how valued they are.
“We're always looking for ways to say thank you to our blood donors. When I speak with donors at drives a lot of times, they're there just because they want to be able to give back,” Maisel said.
The Red Cross was prepared heading into the two hurricanes and wants to ensure the supply stays stable given that hurricane season continues through the fall.
“We were able to pre-position blood products in Florida ahead of hurricane Milton because we had donors who had already given blood in an emergency,” Maisel said. “It's blood on the shelves that helps in those scenarios, so that's why it's important to make sure that we have volunteer blood donors every day to ensure that that blood supply is available for patients when they need it.”
Donations received by blood drives across the country go into a national supply, and can then be sent wherever they are needed. Taking the time to donate in Wilkes-Barre could mean victims of the hurricane or patients in impacted states could be getting necessary blood.
Eligibility for giving blood depends on age and weight, as well as health history.
There are four types of blood donation and the eligibility varies depending on the type of donation being given.
Whole blood refers to blood in its natural form without anything being separated out. For whole blood donations, donors must be 16 years old and at least 110 pounds. Whole blood donations can be given up to six times a year.
Power red donations allow donors to safely give two units of blood while getting platelets and plasma returned. Power red donations can only be given up to three times a year. Male donors must be 17 years old, 5’1” and at least 130 pounds, while female donors must be 19, at least 5’3” and 150 pounds.
Platelets form clots and stop bleeding. When donating platelets, the machine separates the platelets from the blood, returning red blood cells and most of the plasma back to the donor. Platelets can be donated weekly, and donors must be 17 years old and 110 pounds.
Lastly, those with type AB blood, either negative or positive, can donate AB elite plasma up to 13 times a year. AB elite plasma donation separates plasma, returning red blood cells and platelets back to the donor. In addition to having type AB blood, donors must be at least 17 years old and 110 pounds.
The Wilkes-Barre donation center only collects whole blood, power red and platelet donations.
While all types of blood donations are necessary, the Red Cross looks for O- and O+ blood type donations the most. O- is the universal blood type, so any blood type can receive an O- transfusion. According to Maisel, O+ is the most transfused blood type and can be given to anyone with a positive blood type.
Blood has a short shelf-life, and platelets an even shorter one. Blood needs to be used within 42 days of donation, and platelets within only five. This makes the need for blood constant, and mass cancellations of blood drives puts the stability of the national blood supply at risk.
“The need for blood is constant. We can move blood wherever and whenever it's needed. And because hurricane season isn't over, we're trying to make sure that the blood supply is stable right now,” Maisel said.
There are many risks associated with a blood supply shortage, as blood is needed in both emergency circumstances for physical trauma victims as well as for scheduled operations.
“There's always a chance if the blood supply is not available, that a physician may need to postpone an elective surgery,” Maisel said. “In serious cases, if the blood products aren't available, there may be a need to postpone a needed surgery if there is not blood available.”
Sandra Dawson, a team supervisor at the Red Cross Wilkes-Barre blood and platelet donation location, has observed an increase in donors during natural disasters and other emergencies.
“We do see when we do have disasters, we do see more people coming in, which is just amazing to see people come together like that,” Dawson said.
Dawson doesn’t think donors realize the large impact that their donations can have.
“It's really important,” she said. “From one whole blood donation, you could save up to three lives. If we run short on blood, then, there's a lot of people out there that really need it, and we won't have it for them.”
Within just about an hour, donors can give blood and offer life-saving supplies for people across the country.
“A blood donation appointment is only about an hour from the time you walk in the door to the time you leave, so with a short period of time, that's something that people could give,” Maisel said.
In a blood crisis, the donors are the ones saving lives.
“Our blood donors are just amazing,” Maisel said. “They are truly saving lives by donating blood. Blood cannot be manufactured, so the only way that it's available for people who need it is through those volunteer blood donors.”
