DELMARVA – “It’s vital and paramount to remind people of the constant need for blood,” Prado said.
January marks National Blood Donor Month, a time to honor voluntary blood donors and encourage others to give back. “January and also winter as a whole is a very tough time to recruit blood donors,” Prado said.
Approximately 64% of the U.S population is eligible to donate blood. Yet, only 3% actually does so each year according to Tony Prado with the Blood Bank of Delmarva.
He says that shortage can be felt locally. “While there’s a lot of people perfectly healthy and able to donate blood physically, there just not making the time to do so,” Prado said.
Prado says that donations are more crucial now than ever before.
He adds that that in some instances it can be the difference between life and death. “So that hospitals have lifesaving products ready for people that are involved in such traumas as car accidents and other accidents, cancer patients, or chronic illnesses such as sickle cell anemia,” Prado said.
Those we spoke with say giving away one honor of your time to help someone in need can also be a great start to your 2023. “I’ve met people who made it a New Year’s resolution to donate blood and recognizing that it’s a powerful way to give back to your community,” Prado said.
In terms of current inventory, Prado tells us they’re in need of O-positive, O-negative and B-negative blood types.
To find out more information on how you can give, click here
