Last week, our team partnered with American Red Cross to hold a blood drive in downtown Birmingham at The Theodore. As many businesses and events have closed or began working remotely during this time due to COVID-19, many blood drives have also been cancelled or postponed. Blood drives fulfill a vital need in many hospitals each day and without regularly scheduled blood drives, there has been a shortage.
Did you know that every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood? It is essential for surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses, and traumatic injuries. Whether a patient receives whole blood, red cells, platelets or plasma, this lifesaving care starts with one person making a generous donation.
To put into perspective the needs in measurable statistics, American Red Cross provides the following facts:
- Approximately 36,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day in the U.S.
- Nearly 7,000 units of platelets and 10,000 units of plasma are needed daily in the U.S.
- Nearly 21 million blood components are transfused each year in the U.S.
- The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 units.
- The blood type most often requested by hospitals is type O.
- Sickle cell disease affects 90,000 to 100,000 people in the U.S. About 1,000 babies are born with the disease each year. Sickle cell patients can require blood transfusions throughout their lives.
- According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1.8 million people are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2020. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.
- A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood.
During our blood drive, we were able to collect 52 units of blood and 28 first time donors participated in our drive.
Dane Usry, Senior Account Manager for American Red Cross Alabama and Mississippi Chapters said “The only place we typically see that many first time donors is at a high school, when a group of students has finally met the age requirement. Even then, 28 is a stretch. This drive was phenomenal in every way and we are truly grateful to have partnered with you. Blood drives like yours are what will allow us to ensure our hospitals have an adequate blood supply.”
Thank you to our partners and donors for making our blood drive a success. Our business is built upon the relationships we have made over the last 45 years and we appreciate the continued support of our community. We look forward to building our partnership with American Red Cross, so be sure to look for future opportunities to give back with us! You can also visit our social channels to view recent photos from our blood drive and updates from The Prewitt Group.