TULSA — With a pandemic now entering a second year, and the onset of a brutal round of winter weather, blood donations have become an urgent need in Oklahoma.
John Armitage, CEO of the Oklahoma Blood Institute, tells KRMG the demand for blood remains high, but so many schools and businesses that normally schedule blood drives have not been able to hold them.
KRMG IN-DEPTH REPORT: BLOOD DONATIONS URGENTLY NEEDED
So, he’s issuing an urgent call for Oklahomans to find a safe way to come in and donate.
Several that were scheduled in upcoming days have been cancelled.
“It’s hard to get out in this cold weather,” Armitage told KRMG Wednesday. “It’s hard to get out with the ice and the slick roads, and we want people to be safe. But we also need those folks who have 4-wheel drive, and those folks who when they hear ‘help,’ they’re the ones who rush towards that call for help - all those folks are needed right now for the blood supply.”
Oklahomans have a national reputation when it comes to blood donations, he said.
“Our donation rates are really high. They call Oklahoma part of the ‘blood basket,’ actually, like the ‘bread basket,’ because people here are so generous and we don’t have some of the struggles that the coastal regions have.”
So, he’s hopeful his urgent call for help will reach a receptive audience.
If you’d like to roll up a sleeve, click here to visit the Oklahoma Blood Institute website.