Brendon Dibella, OD, who is coordinating the HBS blood drive on October 10, has been advised by his Red Cross contacts to urge the HBS community not to rush to donate blood.
The HBS fall blood drive is scheduled for Wednesday, October 10, from 12-6 p.m. in Shad Hall. The local Red Cross chapter does not want to change this date. The Red Cross is extremely worried about an “aftershock”-i.e. a blood supply shortage that could occur because so many people are donating right now. If too many volunteers donate blood now, there will be no qualified donors (due to not enough weeks between donations) over the next few weeks. Blood only lasts in refrigeration for a few weeks after it is collected.
The Red Cross is particularly worried about victims suffering from coma and other conditions that will need blood after the initial injuries are treated.
The Red Cross specifically counts on HBS as one of its higher donation drives of the fall; they are counting on the HBS community to blow away all past records on October 10 as a result of the national tragedy.
