As the nation enters what is known as “trauma season” – a period between Memorial Day and Labor Day often referred to as the 100 Deadliest Days – Bloodworks Northwest is issuing an urgent call for blood donations, especially from Type O blood donors, to address a dangerously low supply.
Each summer, the number of traffic accidents, outdoor injuries, and traumatic incidents rises significantly, placing immense pressure on the local blood supply.
Type O blood, the most requested type by trauma centers, plays a pivotal role in emergency transfusions due to universal compatibility.
“We are facing a critical blood shortage at the worst possible time,” said Dr. Kirsten Alcorn, Co-Chief Medical Officer at Bloodworks Northwest. “The need for blood during summer only grows and we’re already experiencing high patient usage for traumas and other conditions. Our local trauma centers rely on a steady and ready supply of blood, especially Type O, to help patients survive.”
Everyone in our community is encouraged to find out if they are eligible to donate blood and book an appointment at the nearest Bloodworks Northwest center or blood drive. Bloodworks Northwest reports there are over 14,000 open appointments across Western Washington and Oregon available for donors to book between now and Fourth of July. You do not need to know your blood type to donate blood.
Blood donors will also be entered to win a $3,000 digital gift card or a three-night weekend getaway to a choice of Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, Washington; Sunriver Resort in Bend, Oregon; or Breakers in Long Beach, Washington — as well as two nights for your pet at the Sniff Dog Hotel in Portland and Beaverton, Oregon — as part of their “Give Blood. Rescue a Human” campaign.
Booking appointments and additional information about donating blood is available at BloodworksNW.org or by calling 800-398-7888. Click here to view a map of Donor Centers and Blood Drives.
About Bloodworks Northwest
Donations to Bloodworks Northwest provide lifesaving blood supply to 95% of Pacific Northwest hospitals. Since 1944, Bloodworks has served the Pacific Northwest as a local, nonprofit, independent, volunteer-supported and community-based blood center and research institute. Bloodworks partners closely with local hospitals to deliver the highest level of patient care.
Its comprehensive services include blood components, complex cross-matching, specialized lab services for organ transplants, care for patients with blood disorders, and collection of cord blood stem cells for cancer treatment. Bloodworks Research Institute performs leading-edge research in blood biology, transfusion medicine, blood storage, and treatment of blood disorders. Patients with traumatic injuries, undergoing surgeries or organ transplantation, or receiving treatment for cancer and blood disorders all depend on its services, expertise, and laboratories.
