Red Cross makes urgent plea for blood donors

While the late-winter severe weather meant slow commutes and the burden of shoveling snow for most of us, the stormy weather made more than just a passing nuisance for the American Red Cross.

Canceled blood drives across the region and the country have disrupted blood collections for the organization, even as hospitals maintain the same demand for the lifesaving donations.

In March alone, storms forced the cancellation of more than 200 blood drives, resulting in nearly 7,000 uncollected blood and platelet donations, according to Cara Leyna Noble of the New York-Penn Blood Services Region.

For a better sense of the shortfall, consider that a unit of blood is equal to a pint, resulting in about 875 lost gallons in just the first two weeks of March. Since February, storms across 27 states left 26,400 blood and platelet donations uncollected, Noble said. Those missed donations would overfill an average swimming pool.

To keep hospital shelves stocked, the Red Cross depends on a steady supply of blood donations throughout the year. Late winter poses a problem with storms and missed appointments as flu season takes its toll on would-be blood-givers, Nobel said.

"If we have to cancel a blood drive, we don't have the opportunity in certain areas for donors to give blood," she said. "It really does impact people who want to give."

Red blood cells only remain viable for 42 days after a donation, and it's an even shorter window for platelets, which are needed for clotting to prevent massive blood loss. Platelets are in high demand for cancer patients and organ transplant treatments, Noble said, and they only last five days before they become unusable.

While donations from all blood types are needed, the Red Cross is in particular need of negative types of O, A, and B blood.

Follow Matthew Hayes on Twitter @CNYMHayes.

Upcoming blood drives

Binghamton

• March 16: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Chenango Town Hall, 1529 NY Rt 12

• March 21: 12 p.m. - 4 p.m., Student Village, 907 Upper Front St

• March 25: 2:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Cross Point Community Church, 1 Grand Boulevard

• March 18: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., American Red Cross of Endicott, 620 East Main Street

• March 21: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Central United Methodist Church, 17 Nanticoke Ave

Johnson City

• March 14: 7:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Johnson City Blood Donation Center, 365 Harry L Drive

• March 14: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Oakdale Mall, 601-635 Harry L Dr

• March 15: 7:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Johnson City Blood Donation Center, 365 Harry L Drive

• March 16: 12:15 p.m. - 6:45 p.m., Johnson City Blood Donation Center, 365 Harry L Drive

• March 17: 12:15 p.m. - 6:45 p.m., Johnson City Blood Donation Center, 365 Harry L Drive

• March 19: 7:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Johnson City Blood Donation Center, 365 Harry L Drive

• March 20: 7:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Johnson City Blood Donation Center, 365 Harry L Drive

• March 21: 7:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Johnson City Blood Donation Center, 365 Harry L Drive

• March 22: 7:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Johnson City Blood Donation Center, 365 Harry L Drive

• March 23: 12:15 p.m. - 6:45 p.m., Johnson City Blood Donation Center, 365 Harry L Drive

• March 24: 12:15 p.m. - 6:45 p.m., Johnson City Blood Donation Center, 365 Harry L Drive

• March 26: 7:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Johnson City Blood Donation Center, 365 Harry L Drive

• March 27: 7:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Johnson City Blood Donation Center, 365 Harry L Drive

• March 28: 7:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Johnson City Blood Donation Center, 365 Harry L Drive

• March 28: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Oakdale Mall, 601-635 Harry L Drive

• March 29: 7:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Johnson City Blood Donation Center, 365 Harry L Drive

• March 30: 12:15 p.m. - 6:45 p.m., Johnson City Blood Donation Center, 365 Harry L Drive

• March 31: 12:15 p.m. - 6:45 p.m., Johnson City Blood Donation Center, 365 Harry L Drive

Vestal

• March 27: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., BU College in the Woods-Mohawk, 4400 Vestal Parkway East

• March 28: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints-Vestal, 305 Murray Hill Road

• March 28: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Binghamton University Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center, 4400 Vestal Parkway

Elmira

• • March 23: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Hamilton Hall, One Park Place

•March 26: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 1054 West Clinton Street

Horseheads

• • March 21: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Arnot Mall, 3300 Chambers Rd South Rd

• • March 23: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Raymour and Flanigan-Big Flats, 137 Colonial Drive

•March 25: 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., American Legion Post 442, 71 Old Ithaca Road

Beaver Dams

• • March 28: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Grace Lee Memorial Wesleyan Church, 2075 Chambers Rd

Bath

• • March 14: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m., Centenary United Methodist Church, 3 W Washington St

Newark Valley

•March 16: 1- 6 p.m., Newark Valley Fire Department, 7151 State Route 38

Greene

•March 25: 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Church of the Immaculate Conception, 1180 State Highway 206

Norwich

•March 17: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Guernsey Memorial Library, 3 Court Street