Adam Kenner, 19, donates blood at the Kentucky Blood Center on May 22, 2024, in Lexington. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Arden Barnes)
The winter storm that hit Kentucky in early January hurt the state’s blood supply, the Kentucky Blood Center said Monday.
The wintry conditions — snow, ice and freezing temperatures — caused the blood center network to cancel mobile drives and close early, lowering donor turnout.
The anatomy of Kentucky’s blood supply, and why more need to donate
KBC says it lost about 800 donations last week. Supply was already low thanks to an expected lull over the holidays, according to KBC.
“We need donors to step up and help us dig out of a hole,” Mandy Brajuha, vice president of external relations for KBC, said in a statement. “With a break in the weather and several blood types at less than a day’s supply, we hope donors will act and visit a nearby location in the coming days so we are prepared when the next bout of winter weather hits the Bluegrass.”
The blood types with the lowest supply are O negative, the universal donor, and A negative, according to the KBC blood supply dashboard.
KBC is giving blood donors a sweatshirt as a thank-you gift for donating through Jan. 25. The sweatshirt says “drop it like it’s hot.”
Donors must be 17 or older (or 16 if a parent consents), weigh 110 pounds or more, be in good health and show photo identification. To learn more about donating blood and set up an appointment, visit https://www.kybloodcenter.org/donate.