Blood Donations Needed to Restock Supplier for All Area Hospitals

The non-profit that provides blood and blood products to all our area hospitals is urging people to schedule appointments to give blood as soon as possible. Claire DeRoin, spokeswoman for LifeServe Blood Center, says supplies took a heavy hit in recent days after multiple hospitals in central Iowa performed transfusions on several patients.

A five-day supply of any given blood type is considered ideal, but DeRoin says it’s uncommon to have that much in stock. Supplies are now dangerously low.

Blood of all types is welcome.

Under a new program called “Thank The Donor,” some blood donors may later receive notes from the patients whose lives they helped to save. LifeServe has donor centers in Marshalltown, Des Moines, Ames, Fort Dodge, Mason City, Sioux City, and Urbandale. Call 800-287-4903 or visit www.lifeservebloodcenter.org.