You may have seen a headline or two about the importance of blood donation and the recent blood shortages many in the United States are facing. So, what is a blood shortage? Faith Friesen, the blood bank supervisor at the LMH Health Laboratory, said to put it simply, it means we may not be able to get the blood products we need when we place an order because the supply is simply not adequate.
There are many reasons blood donations are vital, including helping patients survive surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses and traumatic injuries. At this time, Friesen said there is no alternative to blood.
“Right now there is no artificial substitute for blood,” she said. “If real human blood is not available there is nothing we can substitute for it. Nothing has been successful in trials at this time and if we do not have donors, we cannot provide for those who need blood to survive. If you are able, we strongly recommend you donate when you can.”
So where does your blood go when you donate? Friesen said the blood donated at an LMH Health-sponsored blood drive will go into the Community Blood Center’s general blood supply. Though it may not go directly to LMH Health, it does support the blood center that provides for our region.
“Regardless of our blood drives specifically at LMH Health, if the whole inventory of blood is down, it will affect all of us. This is why it is so important to donate, not just at our drives, but at any you are eligible to donate at,” Friesen said. “The Community Blood Center supplies blood to about 70 local hospitals, LMH Health being one. We order an average of 100 units a month and when we have a drive, we typically receive 80-90 units. We are fortunate to have a blood center who supplies us with blood because if we had to rely solely on our drives, we would not have enough to replenish what we use.”
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