Stanford Blood Center urgently needs blood donations because of a critical shortage.
A Stanford representative said the center has just a two-day supply of O-negative blood and is also in dire need of platelet donors. O-negative is a crucial — and rare — blood type because it is compatible with any patient. The blood center supplies blood to four local hospitals.
Loren Magaña, publicist for the blood center, blamed the shortage on a dearth of donations over the holidays due to people traveling and on higher-than-normal blood usage caused by a high number of surgeries at hospitals. Stanford issued its emergency call for donations last Thursday, when it was down to just a one-day supply of O-negative blood.
Magaña said response to the blood center’s announcement has been decent, but with the recent rains sparking traffic fatalities in the Bay Area and a particularly debilitating flu and cold season that’s keeping potential donors away, the supply is quickly headed back to a one-day reserve. He added that the center is seeking donations of all blood types.
“This is particularly bad and probably worse than any shortages we’ve seen in the past couple of years,” Magaña said, noting there was a less-critical shortage or rare blood types in August.
Magaña said if the supply of O-negative blood continues to decrease, the center has a backup plan to acquire blood from other facilities in Stanford’s network. It’s a process he said can often take 24 hours.
Stanford Blood Center is partnering with San Jose-based Good Karma Bikes through Jan. 27 to ramp up blood donations and help local children at the same time. For every 15 people who donate blood to the center during that time, Good Karma Bikes will donate a bicycle to a child in foster care or in a single-parent shelter and the blood center will make a financial contribution to the bike shop.
In its announcement, the center said donors should be in good health with no cold and flu symptoms, and must eat well prior to the donation, drink fluids and present a photo ID at the time of donation. To schedule an appointment at a donation center or locate the closest mobile drive, visit sbcdonor.org or call 888-723-7831 for same-day appointments.
