By Lauren Schwahn, NerdWallet
Calling all eligible blood donors: Your help is needed.
Earlier this summer, the American Red Cross declared a national blood supply crisis, for only the second time in its history. The organization issued an urgent appeal to give blood, as hospital demand has outpaced donations.
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But this crisis extends beyond the nation’s largest blood supplier. Other organizations, including America’s Blood Centers and the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies, are also urging people to roll up their sleeves as soon as possible.
Column: What you need to know about donating blood
So how did we get here? And just how bad is it?
The situation
The Red Cross said blood donations dropped to a four-year summer low in July, driven by extreme heat, poor air quality and rampant foodborne illness (thanks a lot, cyclospora). That’s especially challenging during a season when traumatic injuries tend to rise.
Type O blood is in particularly short supply. The Red Cross had less than a one-day supply of type O positive blood, the most commonly transfused type, at the time of its declaration. For context, America’s Blood Centers says a blood supply of three days or more is the sweet spot.
O negative is in critical demand as the universal blood type, which is given to patients in emergency situations when there isn’t enough time to determine their blood type.
Obviously this isn’t great. But how does it affect medical care, exactly? Blood shortages force hospitals to make difficult decisions about how limited supplies are used. The more urgent the case, the higher the priority.
Blood isn’t just used in emergency care — it’s also essential for scheduled surgeries, cancer treatments and managing other medical conditions. Inadequate supplies can delay procedures and ongoing care, putting patients at risk.
The good news
Many of you are reading this with perfectly good blood coursing through your veins. Maybe I can convince some of you to spare a pint.
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If saving lives isn’t enough to get you through the door, a little financial incentive might do the trick.
How donating pays off
The Red Cross is emailing a $20 Amazon gift card to everyone who donates through Aug. 31. Type O donors get a $10 bonus gift card. (Don’t know your blood type? Donate and find out!)
Nonprofit blood services provider Vitalant is giving a $15 electronic gift card of choice to donors all month long. Other blood donation centers often run similar promotions.
Sure, that’s not gonna be enough to pay off a mortgage. But it might help you put a few gallons of gas in your tank or stretch your grocery budget a little further.
You could get rewarded with freebies like movie tickets, T-shirts and mugs, too.
And if you’re looking for a bigger payoff, donating plasma or other blood components can come with higher compensation. The Red Cross Specialized Donor Program pays up to $350 per collection.
Plain ol’ blood is a good place to start, though.
Here’s how to help end the blood supply crisis:
- Visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-733-2767 (1-800-RED CROSS) to make a donation appointment. Or, look up donation sites for other organizations in your area.
- If you’re unable to give blood, consider donating money, volunteering at a blood drive or organizing your own.
- Nudge a friend or two to donate.
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Lauren Schwahn writes for NerdWallet. Email: [email protected]. Twitter: @lauren_schwahn.
The article Take Your Blood To The Bank (Please) originally appeared on NerdWallet.
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