Red Cross Calls Need for Blood Donors Critical

As a Los Angeles Fire Department paramedic, North Hills resident Mark Gaines sees more blood than most people.

“I’ve worked Downtown, in South-Central and Central Los Angeles,” Gaines said, lying on his back with a needle taped to the inside of his arm at the American Red Cross blood donation center in Van Nuys. “We see a lot of trauma, a lot of need for transfusions.”

Gaines, whose work motivates him to donate blood, was one of several dozen donors who visited the donation center Tuesday to contribute a pint of their own blood to the Southern California region’s dwindling supply.

According to a Red Cross spokeswoman, the region’s need for blood donations is always more pronounced immediately after the holidays.

But in combination with a particularly severe flu virus that hit earlier than expected, and harsh winter weather conditions in other parts of the country, which prevented regular donations from leaving those areas, the need for blood throughout the Southland this season is dire.

“It’s a critical situation,” said Cheryle Babbitt, who heads blood donation services for the Southern California Region of the American Red Cross. “We are able to meet emergency situations, but if things don’t improve, there is a possibility we won’t.”

Babbitt said the Red Cross usually has about 2,600 units of blood on hand for use in Los Angeles and Orange counties, or enough for about three days. Now, the supply is down to about 451 units--less than what is needed for one day.

At the Red Cross center in Van Nuys, donations were up slightly last week after people learned of the shortage, according to head nurse, Sylvia Swearingen.

But the center’s refrigerator, which normally stores about 300 units of blood, remains nearly bare with only 18 units on its shelves.

Ray Wood, who has volunteered at the center for 15 years, delivering blood to local hospitals, said he has never seen such a dismal supply.

“It normally gets low during the holidays,” Wood said. “But this is about the lowest I’ve ever seen it.”

People interested in donating blood can call the Red Cross for the nearest donation site at (800) 974-2113.