LAFAYETTE, La. (KADN)- There’s a national blood shortage and it’s affecting many hospitals and donation centers here in Acadiana.
According to the Vitalant, the shortage is due to donors not coming in as consistently as they have been in the past.
“There's no synthetic for blood. There's no you know, laboratory manufactured blood it only comes from you and I from the human body,” Stephanie Kizziar,of the local Vitalant, said.
Our Lady of Lourdes Blood Center has also been affected by the blood shortage.
“We’ve had situations when patients needed two units of blood and were only able to get one because there were other people in need and we only had a certain amount to give,” Suzie Picard, of Our Lady of Lourdes, said.
Both centers are in need of type O donors.
“O positive is the most popular blood type is the most common blood type, but type O negative is the universal donor,” Kizzar explained.
Those with underlying health conditions are the most at risk during this blood shortage.
“Cancer patients are one group of individuals who use blood and blood products such as platelets to help with their usual treatment. Also, people with sickle cell disease need numerous blood transfusions to be able to live a life without pain,” she said.
Donor blood is also needed when hospitals experience emergencies and are running low.
“You never know when it's going to be you who needs blood. You never know when it's going to be your loved one who needs blood. That small bit of pain that you would go through to donate blood can help someone who's going through a more significant amount of pain,” she said.
Both centers noted that it only takes 10-15 minutes to donate blood.
Blood donations at Our Lady of Lourdes can also help pay out of pocket medical expenses, to find out more information about that, contact them at 337-470-4483.
