Blood Supply Low

(KFOR NEWS July 18, 2019) Nebraska Community Blood Bank is facing a dangerously low blood inventory, with less than a one-day supply of some blood types.

Summer is often a challenging time to collect blood, with schools out of session and families taking summer vacations. Blood cannot be synthetically made; there is no substitute for life-saving blood. New and repeat donors are urgently needed. Nebraska Community Blood Bank encourages the community to help replenish the local blood supply by donating at any of its four donor centers or dozens of local blood drives. And, nearly 100% of the blood used by patients in Nebraska hospitals is donated by Nebraska blood donors with Nebraska Community Blood Bank.

Donors who give blood with Nebraska Community Blood Bank give a second chance to kids like James and Cole, twin boys who were born nearly three months premature. James and Cole spent four months in the hospital after being born, enduring numerous surgeries. After 15 blood transfusions, their parents stopped counting how much blood James and Cole received. “It was shocking to learn how short the blood supply often is,” said Erik, father of James and Cole. “Once I saw the need, I became a blood donor. Coming from me, a parent whose child needed it to survive, thank you for helping save my boys.”

Nebraska Community Blood Bank can help determine if you are eligible to donate blood; in general, you may be eligible if you are:
• In good health
• 17 years or older – 16 with written parental consent (PDF)
• Free of antibiotics for 24 hours, unless taken for preventative reasons
• Symptom-free for at least 72 hours following a cold or flu

Make a difference and schedule your life-saving appointment today by calling 1-877-486-9414 or by visiting NCBB.ORG.