As blood supplies dwindle across U.S., Red Cross says Chicago needs donors now

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The American Red Cross says blood supplies are dwindling across the county, and here in Chicago, officials are calling for more blood donors.

Joy Squier, Communications Director for the Illinois Red Cross, agrees that people don’t always realize how many different medical situations call for blood, from traffic accidents to cancer treatments.

“About 30% of the blood supply does go to cancer patients,” Squier said. “Transplants, surgeries, [and] various blood diseases like sickle-cell. There’s so many reasons. Birth trauma — that’s a big one you don’t think about that really is another reason to need blood.”

Donations are usually slow during the summer months, but Illinois Red Cross District Manager for Donations Emily Alanis said this is worse than usual. She said extreme heat and severe storms have canceled a number of blood drives.

In July, the Red Cross had a shortfall of 19,000 donations, officials said. Squier said they need donors for all blood types, and she added that donors don’t even need to know their blood type.

Alanis said they need to counter some myths about donating blood, such as the myth that donors need to be 18 or 21 years old.

“People can start donating with parent consent at 16 in Illinois,” Alanis said. “One of our biggest groups that we’ve really tried to get excited about blood donations are 16- to 24-year-olds … that is one of the groups that we’ve seen one of the biggest changes since COVID.”

Another myth: that being on medication disqualifies someone from donating blood.

“There are very few medications that actually defer you,” Alanis said. “My parents both did this when I started working here. They were like, ‘Oh, we’re on blood pressure medicine.’ I was like, ‘Great. That means your blood pressure is actually going to be perfect for actually donating blood.’”

You can make appointments online to donate blood at www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800- RED-CROSS.

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