Coming at the end of a summer of historic need, Lodi volunteers are looking to help, organizing an annual blood drive on Sept. 25 in memory of prolific local donor Brad Morter.
Morter died suddenly in 2021 at the age of 62, leaving behind his wife, Patricia, five children, and 10 grandchildren, but also a legacy as a volunteer, as an Emergency Medical Technician in Waunakee and Lodi, and over the course of his life as a blood donor, totaling over 108 gallons donated, according to Patricia.
“We decided to do an annual blood drive, to get at least 108 units in our blood drive and that every year we were going to do this blood drive,” said Patricia. “So this is our fourth one and we’ve met our goal every year.”
They are now working to get as many people informed and signed up as possible. A float in this year’s Susie the Duck Day Parade in Lodi on Aug. 10 came with the banner “Give Blood Just Like Susie,” and “#108forBrad.”
This comes at a time of extraordinary need for blood donors. On Aug. 5 the American Red Cross announced an emergency blood shortage with its national blood inventory down more than 25 percent in July.
Numerous factors have contributed to the situation, according to the Red Cross announcement, including heat waves that have both made storage and transportation of blood more difficult, and also hindering potential donors.
While all donations are appreciated, those of Type-O blood, the universal donor, are specifically highly sought after.
“Having type O blood products readily available is vital to providing timely and lifesaving care to patients in need,” said Dr. Baia Lasky, division chief medical officer for the Red Cross. “In fact, for a patient suffering massive blood loss, like an individual in a car accident or a mom experiencing a severe postpartum hemorrhage, group O is the most commonly transfused blood type.”
To highlight how this need impacts people within the Lodi community, Patricia said that this year they are telling the story of one of Brad’s former co-workers, who last year, was going through cancer treatment, requiring donated blood on a daily basis.
This year, as they set up between the Lodi EMS station and Lodi Veterinarian Clinic, they will host a brat stand in the clinic’s parking lot, with funds going to the Lodi Area EMS for purchase of AEDs, automatic external defibrillators, to be placed in the community for quick access by residents in the event someone nearby experiences cardiac arrest.
While this annual blood drive has been successful in yielding donations and spreading awareness, according to Patricia, it is not something she thought much about before.
“And it is so easy,” she said. “I never donated blood, ever, and that’s very sad, because one unit can save three lives. So it’s crazy that you donate one time and you could potentially save three lives.”
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