MT. VERNON, IL (WSIL) - Red Cross officials say one blood donation can help up to three people and each can have a positive impact on a community.
Summertime hits and that’s when a lot of families like to go on vacation. According to the American Red Cross Account Executive Ann Venhaus, it’s also a time when blood supplies get critically low.
“We have experienced 20,000 fewer blood donors than we did within the last month to maintain our national blood supply for the Red Cross,� she said.
WSIL sponsored 12 hours of giving at four locations, one was inside the Times Square Mall in Mt. Vernon.
Venhaus says it’s not uncommon for a hospital to use as much as 100 pints of blood after a single car accident and with summer travel, keeping the supply of blood high is important.
“It's vital that they still take the time, come out, give a little bit of their blood, and save that hospital patient lives that need blood,� Venhaus says.
While all blood type is needed, Venhaus explains why Type O is the most sought-after.
“That is the universal blood type,� she explained. “So anyone that goes into a hospital, if they happen to be unconscious, they're going to probably receive that O-negative blood type.�
“That means making sure the blood is on hand, sitting on the shelves and waiting to be used. Frank Zachman has been a loyal donor since 1988. The Dahlgren native even recently received a high honor for his years of donation.
“I've just received my 13-gallon pen,� said Zachman. “It makes you feel good. It really does.
Zachman goes on to talk about what opened his eyes to the need to give.
“I had a friend who had a motorcycle accident back in the eighties,� he explains. “That's when I started giving and it was just something that I continued to do.�
And since then he’s donated in his friend’s memory, and as he works toward his next milestone, he knows each donation is a gift of life.
“I’m hoping to get a 14-gallon pen in the next few years. It will take me a little bit, but it's something to look forward to,� Zachman said.
