PHILADELPHIA, PA — The American Red Cross is urging donors to give blood immediately after its national blood supply dropped nearly 25% in June, creating a widening gap between hospital demand and available donations during the peak summer trauma season.
The organization reported that distributions to hospitals are running nearly 3,500 units per week above expectations while blood donations have fallen sharply since late May. Platelets and type O positive and B negative blood are in especially short supply, the Red Cross announced.
The organization attributed the decline to summer schedules and the seasonal loss of school blood drives, warning that patient care could be affected if donations do not increase.
“A readily available blood supply serves as the backbone of modern medicine,” Dr. Courtney Lawrence, medical director for the Red Cross, stated. “Emergency departments, operating rooms, and labor and delivery units can’t support patients with the most urgent needs, and cancer patients must wait. We’re asking donors to give now before doctors are forced to make those difficult decisions.”
The Red Cross also cited a recent survey showing many Americans underestimate the need for blood donations. Fewer than one in five respondents knew blood cannot be stockpiled because of its limited shelf life, while only about half believed they or someone close to them would likely require a transfusion despite one occurring every two seconds in the United States.
The organization highlighted the experience of Chester County volunteer firefighter Emily Gindele, who received multiple blood transfusions after suffering life-threatening injuries in a 2023 car crash.
“The trauma doctors raced against the clock, performing emergency surgery, giving me a blood transfusion, removing my spleen and stitching me up,” Gindele stated. “Without the blood transfusion, I would have died. That blood gave me another chance at life.”
The Red Cross is encouraging eligible donors to schedule appointments through the Blood Donor App, by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
As an incentive, individuals who donate blood through July 31 will receive a Fandango movie ticket by email, valid for up to $15 toward ticket price and fees. Additional information is available at RedCrossBlood.org/July.
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