Donate blood now! - CBS4 - WHBF Quad Cities, IL-IA News Weather Sports

Donate blood now!

By: Kate Pabich
kpabich@cbs4qc.com

Dozens have been killed and many others injured in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. Even though the crisis is hundreds of miles away, you can help, right here in the Quad Cities.

Sandy has shut down subways, power, and interrupted people's routines, which for some includes donating blood.

Right now the American Red Cross says it's about 9,000 units short. As Kirby Winn explains, the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center has been hard at work since the hurricane hit.

"Anytime that there's an incident like this whether it's a big snow storm or this big storm out east, disaster mode kicks in. The blood centers are in communication daily to make sure that the hospitals and the blood centers out east are in communication to make sure they have what they need."

 The blood center says October is usually a really big month for donations, so the bank is far from dry, but it's sending over platelets to the East Coast.

Platelets are cells within blood that have a shelf life of only 5 days. It's a much different process than regular blood donation, and it takes a little bit longer but the need is growing.

If you'd like to help, just go to www.redcrossblood.org or www.bloodcenter.org