GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — In January of 2022, the United States experienced an extreme scarcity of blood donations. Even though we are technically out of the crisis, blood donation centers are worried we're still falling short on blood with schools getting out for the summer and fewer people donating.
"We get about 30% of our supply from school drives," Versiti Blood Center of Michigan Vice President Dawn Kaiser said.
Now that school is out for the summer, blood donation organizations are urging people to continue donating.
Versiti Blood Center of Michigan says they're seeing a drop in donations and want to avoid being short on blood supply like they were a few months ago.
"Back in January we were down to one-day blood supply," Kaiser said.
Blood shortages severely impact the supply at hospitals and medical centers. Kaiser says donating now is critical.
"We've got Fourth of July coming up and we're seeing fewer donors scheduled in our centers and that gives us a little angst," she said.
FOX 17's Ruta Ulcinaite donated blood for the very first time to bring awareness to the cause. Watch the video below for more!
Versiti has 9 donation centers across the state - you can find a full list and make an appointment to donate here.
