As summer gets underway, the Blood Bank of Delmarva has declared a blood emergency.
The Blood Bank is asking people all across Delmarva to help replenish the area blood supply - which has fallen dangerously low.
“When we declare a blood emergency, it means that our inventory levels are below what they need to be. We normally like to have a five to seven day supply on hand. And we are currently running below two days. So because of that, we have to really get the public in to help us get the levels back up to where they need to be,” said Karesa Fleary, the director of donor recruitment and marketing at the BBD.
She says it takes 350 donors per day to supply the 19 local hospitals throughout the Delmarva Peninsula with the blood they need for patients.
Fleary attributes the low donation numbers to summertime. She says schools are now on summer break and families are taking vacations.
“Summer is typically one of the times of year when donations are down because of , not only donors being busy on vacations, but we also lose our high schools and universities, which make up about 20% of our donations. So it is a more challenging time of year,” Fleary said.
Those with O negative and B negative blood types are needed most; O negative is a universal blood type and B negative is a particularly rare blood type.
You can learn how to donate here. Or you can make an appointment to donate by calling 1-888-8-BLOOD-8.
The Blood Bank of Delmarva serves all the hospitals on the Delmarva Peninsula. They have donor centers in Chadds Ford, PA; Christiana and Dover in Delaware and in Salisbury, Maryland.
