A northern Illinois blood center is sounding the alarm for blood and platelet donations.
The Rock River Valley Blood Center is urgently asking for people to donate their blood and platelets as blood supplies across northern Illinois reach a critical low.
Maggie Anderson is a spokesperson for the blood center, which provides supplies to hospitals across northern Illinois. Locally, they typically need about 800 donors per week.
While all blood types are always needed, there is an immediate need for A-, B-, O-, and O+ blood as well as platelets.
“Platelets are a piece of your blood that is used for clotting your blood, so oftentimes it is used in open heart surgeries," Anderson said. "Cancer patients will oftentimes receive platelet transfusions, and also trauma victims will receive platelet transfusions.”
Nationally, some centers are seeing less than a day’s worth of supplies, according to America’s Blood Centers.
RRVBC urges eligible donors to visit one of its centers or blood drives to help meet the immediate need. The organization says every donation is crucial to ensuring that patients in local hospitals receive the life-saving blood they depend on.
To schedule an appointment or get information about blood drives near you, call 815-965-8751. Walk-ins are welcome.