OneBlood is urging blood donations in areas not impacted by Hurricane Ian.
“While a significant portion of our service area in Florida has suspended blood collections due to dangerous conditions from Hurricane Ian, there are many places where OneBlood remains open including, Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg, Miami-Dade and Broward counties, as well as West Palm Beach and surrounding areas, the Florida Panhandle, North and South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. We are urging people who live in these areas that are not being impacted by the storm to come in and donate,” said Susan Forbes senior vice president of corporate communications and public relations for OneBlood.
Locally, you can donate at The Villages Donor Center at 1550 Bella Cruz Drive or the Leesburg Donor Center at 10601 U.S. Hwy. 441, Unit C11.
All blood types are needed and there is an increased need for O Negative and O Positive donors, as well as platelet donors.
OneBlood serves more than 250 hospitals throughout the southeastern United States. Trauma patients, premature babies, sickle cell patients and patients needing non-elective surgeries, just to name a few, continue to need blood transfusion.
“The need for blood does not stop for a hurricane. We are depending on donors in the areas where we are open to please help by donating blood during this challenging time,” said Forbes.
To find a donor center or Big Red Bus blood drive near you, visit oneblood.org.
