Blood Assurance In Critical Need of O-Positive, O-Negative Donors

Multiple trauma incidents have left Blood Assurance of Cookeville in critical need of O-positive and O-negative blood donors.

Community Relations Director Jay Bumgarner says although donations are about average for the year, unexpected traumas can impact their supply.

“For one patient, last Thursday, they went through 100-plus pints of O-positive blood in less than one day,” Bumgarner said. “That is as much blood as Cookeville Regional (Medical Center) in that one blood type might use in two weeks.”

Medical Director Dr. Elizabeth Culler released a statement Thursday saying high usage and low donations have led to the shortage.

The press release notes the organization typically sees fewer donors during the summer months than usual.

Bumgarner said high school students being out of school for the summer usually leads to fewer donations.

“For example, at Cookeville High School and all the other ones… these kids do blood drives and there’s hundreds of kids that come out and donate,” Bumgarner said. “That’s part of it, that everybody’s busy and the schools are out. We’re saying that if you haven’t donated in a while, please come out and donate at least once or twice this summer.”

Thursday’s press release also indicates that other recent trauma events have left facilities in urgent need of A-positive, A-negative, and B-negative blood types.

Blood Assurance has opened a special prize giveaway to help boost the number of donors through Sept. 30. More information can be found at bloodassurance.org.