CHICAGO, IL (WBBM Newsradio) – The state’s blood supply is running low after heavy snow and icy road conditions caused the cancelation of more than 500 blood drives, in addition to a larger number of individual appointments.
Now that the harsh winter weather conditions have improved, people are encouraged to reschedule cancelled blood donation appointments. All blood types are encouraged to donate but type O-positive and type O-negative are often referred to as ‘universal donors’.
“It’s really important because every single person who needs blood can use universal donor blood,” says Kristyn Benedyk, co-founder of the non-profit A Pint for Kim, which has topped its own record for the largest single day/single location blood drive in Illinois for 6 years running.
Blood cannot be stockpiled and local patients are always in need of donated blood for surgeries, trauma responses, cancer treatments, and emergency transfusions.
Platelets are in constant demand for cancer patients, trauma survivors, and premature babies, and they remain viable for only five to seven days outside the body. Like blood, platelets cannot be manufactured.
One hour of a blood donor’s time can save up to 3 lives, “That doesn’t mean you’re sitting there giving blood for an hour, that is from the time you pull into the parking lot until the time you leave. You’re actually only donating blood for about 6 to 8 minutes,” said Benedyk.
Donations can be made through several independent sources, most are linked to larger organizations such as American Red Cross or Versiti Blood Center of Illinois.
Versiti serves as a major hub for blood donation and services in the Chicagoland area.
Versiti donor center locations:
Aurora: 1200 N. Highland Ave.
Bloomingdale: 398 W. Army Trail Rd.
Crystal Lake: 6296 Northwest Hwy.
Dekalb: 2428 Sycamore Rd.
Elgin: 1140 N. McLean Blvd.
Geneva: 2000 W. State St., Unit 1E
Highland: 2126 45th St.
Joliet: 2625 W. Jefferson St.
Naperville: 1297 S. Naper Blvd.
Tinley Park: 16100 Centennial Cir.
Westmont: 6317 S. Fairview Ave.
Winfield: 27W281 Geneva Rd.
Yorkville: 728 E. Veterans Pkwy., Suite 112