NEWS

Coffee Memorial Blood Center seeks community help during blood emergency

Brianna Maestas
Amarillo Globe-News

The Coffee Memorial Blood Center (CMBC) is facing a blood emergency and is seeking the community's help in receiving blood donations.

According to the center, they are in constant need of blood, but even more so after seeing less than normal blood donors due to the weather. As stated in a news release by CMBC, the winter weather impacted the area, blood donors began cancelling appointments and blood drives were delayed, forcing an already struggling blood supply to critically low levels.

John Armitage, M.D., CMBC president and CEO, stated in a news release: “Since the start of the year, blood donations are suffering substantially, and fewer people are donating. We need the public to step up and help secure their community blood supply ... January is always a difficult time as blood donations typically slow, and the winter weather is magnifying the problem.”

Coffee Memorial Blood Center is seeking the community's help with blood donations after entering a blood emergency, with below a one-day supply due to appointment cancellations as a part of the recent winter weather.
Coffee Memorial Blood Center is seeking the community's help with blood donations after entering a blood emergency, with below a one-day supply due to appointment cancellations as a part of the recent winter weather.

The Coffee Memorial Blood Center is asking donors to reschedule appointments as the weather clears. According to CMBC donor recruitment and event manager Misti Newsom, the center commonly holds a three- to five-day supply of blood, averaging around 650 units, and they currently have less than 125 units, resulting in less than a one-day supply. On average, CMBC declared an dangerous blood emergency around 250 units. The center needs 120 blood donations each day to maintain an ample supply of blood for state hospitals.

CMBC stated that this shortage is affecting the Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma area, and the center is in need of all blood types, but specifically types O negative for its universal usage and O positive as the most common blood type.

"We host blood drives every day, and that will never stop. The only difference now is we are asking more people to come out and donate due to the shortage," Newsom said. "We are still hosting about five blood drives a day, and then of course our center is open every day. We are asking those that aren't donors to come out and become donors, and those that haven't donated in a while to come in again."

Anyone who is healthy and 16 years old with parent permission or older can donate. Blood can be donated every 56 days. Platelets can be donated as often as every seven days, up to 24 times a year.

Coffee Memorial Blood Center is seeking the community's help with blood donations after entering a blood emergency, with below a one-day supply due to appointment cancellations as a part of the recent winter weather.
Coffee Memorial Blood Center is seeking the community's help with blood donations after entering a blood emergency, with below a one-day supply due to appointment cancellations as a part of the recent winter weather.

Newsom states that many individuals are accepted as blood donors, and she cleared some common misconceptions about who can and cannot be accepted as a blood donor.

"A lot of people have a misconceived notion that they can't, but for Individuals with diabetes, as long as it is under control and their glucose levels aren't too high, or individuals with heart problems and high blood pressure, they are accepted as donors," Newsom said.

Newsom also mentioned other common misconceptions, such as that individuals who traveled couldn't give blood as well as individuals with new or fresh tattoos or piercings were unable to donate, but in fact, donors can give blood on the same day after receiving a tattoo or piercing in a state licensed facility, and most travel donors are accepted depending on the time frame and location.

“Blood has no substitute,” Armitage said. “Patients across the state rely on blood products to fight cancer, survive trauma and heal after childbirth. Blood donation takes about an hour and can save up to three lives."

CMBC encouraged all donors to call the center at 806-358-4563 and ask if they are unsure if they qualify to donate blood.

For new, previous or returning donors, a blood donation appointment can be made online at https://www.obi.org/where/donor-centers/coffee-memorial-blood-center/ .

To find a mobile blood drive near you, enter your zip code and schedule and appointment at https://www.yourbloodinstitute.org/donor/schedules/zip .