Urgent blood need

The Blood Connection is asking blood donors to make a blood donation–as soon as conditions safely permit–to ensure the supply is available to meet demand. Donation Centers opened at noon and blood mobiles were expected to be on the road by midday.  “All blood types continue to be needed, but there’s a critical need for platelet donors,” said TBC President and CEO Delisa English. “The winter weather is affecting the community blood supply in all of the areas that we serve. TBC is also receiving requests from hospitals in other areas. Please come into a donation center, look for one of our red buses, and check our website for new blood drives.”  Blood donors must be healthy, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be 17 years old or 16 with written parental consent.  To ensure that hospital needs for blood are uninterrupted, TBC is requesting whole blood and platelet donations. All blood types are needed.  Donors can give at any one of TBC’s donation centers or visit the website to find a blood drive. To make an appointment, please call 1-800-392-6551 or go to www.thebloodconnection.org.  Donors can receive triple points in TBC’s Donor Rewards Program. TBC will also be giving donors t-shirts. Additional rewards will be available at various locations. Following is a list of donation center locations: 435 Woodruff Road, Greenville; 341 Old Abbeville Highway, Greenwood; 1954 East Main Street, Easley; 1308 Sandifer Boulevard, Seneca; and 270 North Grove Medical Park Drive, Spartanburg. Inclement weather in winter always affects the blood supply, making it difficult for donors to get out to donate and difficult for TBC to keep blood mobiles on the road and donation centers open. TBC’s mission is to ensure all hospital partners have the blood supplies needed for patients at any given time.