Donors give blood in Rutland, Vt., Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot) Alex Blair received so many blood transfusions during her leukemia treatment that she lost count after 100.  The Cambridge native received multiple types of blood products daily just to survive before her stem cell transplant in 2019. “By the time that you need the blood, you usually feel pretty crappy,” she said. “You kind of feel super tired all the time. And then right after you get the transfusion, there were days where I was like, ‘I think I could run five miles.’”  Blair, who is now in remission, said she thinks that if people realized the impact they could have on another person’s life with a blood donation, it probably would “encourage people to donate a little more.”  According to the American Red Cross, people aren’t donating nearly enough. On Monday, the Red Cross declared a nationwide “emergency blood shortage,” saying in a press release that the national blood supply fell 25% in June.  While summer is usually a rough time for blood supplies, this year is especially challenging, because the demand from hospitals is 3,500 units higher per week than the Red Cross expected, said Jennifer Costa, the regional communications manager for the Northern New England region of the Red Cross. Demand for blood rises in the summer due to an increase in traumatic events like accidents on boats, bikes and motorcycles.  At the same time, the supply drops as people go out on vacation and school-based blood drives come to a halt. In Vermont in particular, about half of the 2,860 blood donation appointments available in the next two weeks are unfilled, Costa said. “With several weeks left of summer, that readily available supply of blood is just so essential, so doctors can focus on saving lives and not worrying about whether that life-saving blood will be available,” she said.  Blood transfusions aren’t just necessary for traumatic blood loss, but for surgeries, childbirth, cancer treatment and chronic conditions like sickle cell anemia, Costa said.  While any kind of blood donation is helpful, Costa noted that specific types of blood products are even more needed. There are four types of blood donation: whole blood, the most well-known kind; “Power Red,” a technique that allows donors to give double the amount of red blood cells; and platelets and plasma, specific components of blood that are needed for some treatments.  Jamie Daniel delivers lifesaving blood to hospitals as a volunteer Biomed Transportation Specialist on June 9, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo by Brad Zerivitz/American Red Cross Whole blood has a shelf life of 40 days, but platelets only last five days, Costa said. And platelets can only be donated at a permanent Red Cross location, like the donation center on North Prospect Street in Burlington.  Most donations in Vermont occur through community blood drives. The Red Cross has an online tool that allows potential donors to search for drives near them and book an appointment.  Donors can also use the Red Cross app, which not only allows them to book an appointment, but track their blood donation as it goes to a specific hospital. Costa herself has taken advantage of that ability. “A lot of times, the blood stays in Vermont or greater New England. But I’ve had it go to a pediatric hospital in Texas, which just feels great,” she said.  There’s also an incentive for donating right now. Any donors who give blood by July 31 will receive a Fandango movie ticket by email, according to a press release.  Grassroots donations Civic organizations and clubs host many blood drives, but Costa said anyone can host a drive if they have a location to run it and the time to put it together.  “Say you had a family member who was impacted and needed blood. You understood firsthand, suddenly, the need for blood and how precarious the blood supply is,” she said. “You could reach out to the Red Cross. You would be connected with one of our biomed account managers, and they would work with you one-on-one to help you set up a blood drive in your community.” Blood donors have to meet certain eligibility requirements, including age, weight, medical history and other factors. As a survivor of blood cancer, Blair joked that she can’t donate because “nobody wants her blood.”  But Blair works as a nurse and volunteer firefighter, so she’s found another way to give back: by hosting blood drives in her community. She and her fellow volunteers at the Cambridge Volunteer Fire Department have been hosting blood drives for six or seven years.  “In the last couple years, we finally remade back what I used,” Blair said.  Costa had a few tips for first-time donors. Fill out the questionnaire beforehand, drink lots of water and wear a short-sleeved shirt. “I know it makes a lot of people nervous, but the phlebotomist can walk you through (it),” she said.  Costa pointed out that 62% of the United States population is eligible, yet only 3% of the population actually donates each year.  “Unless you’ve had an encounter with yourself needing blood or a loved one needing blood, most of us don’t think about where blood comes from and how precarious the blood supply is,” she said. “But the reality is, if more people in Vermont and across the country don’t roll up a sleeve and give, it is simply not there for doctors to save lives.” Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont faces an emergency blood shortage from summer donation lull. ...read more read less