With less than a one-day supply of the universal blood type, Blood Assurance is working on behalf of area patients to appeal to the 13,040 area donors who have type O negative blood who are currently eligible to give blood.
These donors are located throughout the 34-county region that Blood Assurance serves, and Blood Assurance’s donors are the only source of blood components for more than 50 hospitals and healthcare facilities.
O negative donations are used first in an emergency situation, when the patient’s own blood type is unknown.
In addition to appealing to the public as a whole, Blood Assurance offers phone calls and emails to donors based on their contact preferences to remind them when they are eligible to donate again.
Donors must weigh at least 110 pounds and be at least 17 years old (16 years old with parental consent). All donors will receive a snack and complimentary T-shirt.
To find a blood drive, visit www.bloodassurance.org/blooddrives or call 1-800-962-0628 to schedule an appointment.