Aspirus Upper Peninsula hospitals to hold blood drives

UPPER PENINSULA –One in seven patients entering a hospital require blood to be available, according to the Community Blood Center (CBC). Blood cannot be synthetically made, making donations from volunteers the only way to provide blood to those in need. And the demand is great: someone in America needs a blood transfusion every two seconds, according to the CBC.
January was National Blood Donor Month, an opportunity to recognize the volunteers in our communities who regularly roll up their sleeves and help save lives. It’s also a time to spread awareness about the critical and ongoing need for donated blood.
“Blood is essential for lifesaving medical care for patients with traumatic injuries or chronic illnesses, as well as those in need of surgeries or cancer treatments,” said Christina Asiala, Director, Laboratory Services at Aspirus Health. “The reality is that all of us are likely to know someone who will need blood at some point.”
Despite this, the American Red Cross reports that only 3% of all Americans donate blood, though 37% of the population is eligible.
“Donating is easy, safe and only takes about an hour of your time,” said Asiala. Since donating done every 56 days, she urges eligible donors to consider this an opportunity to make donating blood a routine way of giving back.
“Without the generosity of the community members who give so selflessly, patients would not have the blood they require for emergency needs or ongoing treatments. Together, we can help save lives and support more people across our communities,” said Asiala.
For more information on community blood drives or to find a blood drive happening near you, contact the U.P. Regional Blood Center at 1-800-491-4483.