'O' say can you give blood?

While temperatures and fuel prices continue to rise this summer, the American Red Cross reports that the blood inventory levels are so low it is unable to sufficiently meet the demand of local hospitals.  While there is a constant need for all blood types, donors with type O positive, O negative, A positive and A negative are asked to take an hour to donate right away.

It is especially crucial for donors with type O blood to donate within the next few days.

Type O is the most common blood type and is used extensively by hospitals.  Type O blood donors are considered universal red cell donors because their blood can be given to most other blood types in emergencies when there is no time to type a patient's blood.  Hospitals commonly experience an increase in traumas during the summer, making the need for type O blood even greater.

Here are the next local blood collection drives:

July 18 Friday Cleveland Regional Med. Center 11:00am-3:00pm

July 18 Friday Cleveland Mall 11:30am-4:00pm

July 18 Friday American Red Cross, Kings Mountain 1:30pm-6:00pm

July 20 Sunday Beaver Dam Baptist Church 11:30am-3:30pm

July 21 Monday Belwood Community Center 2:00pm-6:30pm

July 22 Tuesday Friendship Masonic Lodge, Boiling Springs 1:00pm-6:30pm

July 24 Thursday American Red Cross, Shelby 2:30pm-6:30pm

July 25 Friday Wal-Mart 12noon-4:30pm

July 26 Saturday Buffalo Baptist Church 100:00am-2:30pm

"People often forget that the need for blood never takes a vacation," says Robert F. Fechner, chief executive officer, American Red Cross Carolinas Blood Services Region.  "Blood donations always decline during the summer months, but blood is used to treat area hospital patients every day.  Unless donors respond immediately, hospitals may need to cancel elective or non-emergency surgeries."

In the summer, blood shortages often occur because individual donations decrease, along with the number of organizations that are able to sponsor blood drives.  The absence of high school and college blood drives also contributes to this annual drop in donations because these drives account for approximately 20 percent of all donations in the Carolinas Region.

"We want to make the donation process as convenient as possible for those who take time out of their day to help save lives.  In order to avoid waits at our donor centers and blood drives, we ask that donors call to make appointments to give blood," adds Fechner.

The American Red Cross Carolinas Blood Services Region needs approximately 1,600 people to donate blood and platelets each weekday to meet the needs of hospital patients.  Most people who are age 17 or older and weigh at least 110 pounds are eligible to give blood every 56 days.  There is no substitute for blood, and the only source is from volunteer donors.

To schedule an appointment to donate or for information on the location of blood drives, call the Cleveland County Chapter of the American Red Cross at 704-487-8594 or 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (448-3543) or visit www.redcrossblood.org