ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Summer can be a challenging time for blood collection.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are on vacation, school is out, blood donation may not be top of mind for some people because they\u2019re in the summer mode,\u201d said Susan Forbes, Vice President of Corporate Communications and Public Relations with OneBlood. \u201cBut the need for blood does not take a holiday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Forbes said every two seconds, someone receives a blood transfusion, and one in three people will need blood at some point in their life.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe blood has to be available exactly when it\u2019s needed,\u201d Forbes said.<\/p>\n
According to OneBlood, about 60% of the population is eligible to donate blood, but only about 3 percent actually do.<\/p>\n
Forbes said OneBlood sees an increased need during the summer for all blood types, but especially Type O blood.<\/p>\n
\u201cO positive and O negative blood is in the highest demand,\u201d Forbes said. \u201cO negative is the universal donor. It can go to any patient regardless of their blood type.\u201d<\/p>\n
Forbes said only 7% of the population has O-negative blood.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we have to encourage the people who do have that blood type to step forward,\u201d Forbes said.<\/p>\n
Forbes also said blood donation should be part of hurricane season preparation.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet your water, get your batteries, and make a stop at OneBlood and donate,\u201d Forbes said.<\/p>\n
She said it is important to have a ready blood supply before, during, and after storms because collection operations may have to temporarily close in parts of OneBlood\u2019s service area.<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody wakes up thinking they\u2019re going to be a blood recipient,\u201d Forbes said. \u201cYou don\u2019t plan to be the blood recipient, but you can plan to be the donor and help save the person who needs blood transfusion.\u201d<\/p>\n
Forbes said donations made today can be processed, tested and on the way to help a patient within two to three days.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe main thing is don\u2019t take the blood supply for granted,\u201d Forbes said. \u201cBecause in an instant, any one of us can find ourselves on the receiving end of a blood transfusion.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the Pulse nightclub tragedy, Forbes said blood donors play a critical role before emergencies happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cBlood donors truly are those first, first responders,\u201d Forbes said. \u201cThey do their part days before the blood is needed, and as a result, they help save people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Pulse happened in 2016, thousands of people lined up to donate blood. But Forbes noted that the blood helping victims immediately after the shooting had actually been donated days earlier.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is the people who came in just a few days ago that are helping save these people\u2019s lives,\u201d Forbes said.<\/p>\n
Her message today is simple: blood is needed every day, and donors can make a lifesaving difference before an emergency ever happens.<\/p>\n
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