Markus Hickman, 3, sits on his mother’s lap as Stephanie Hickman waits to donate blood Friday, July 16, 2021, at an American Red Cross blood drive at Centennial Hills Library. The Red Cross says there is a blood shortage across the nation and is urging donors to give.
Thursday, July 22, 2021 | 2 a.m.
Stephanie Hicklen admits she’s not a fan of being pricked by a needle. But when she heard the country is experiencing a severe blood shortage, she heeded the call for action and headed to a northwest Las Vegas library to donate.
On a recent morning — with her toddler, Markus, snacking and sitting near her legs as she squeezed a sponge ball — she described how giving blood was an ideal way to pay it forward.
“You never know when it’s going to be you or a loved one in a hospital, and who needs blood,” she said. “It’s something that’s easy and we’re able to (do). We can take a half an hour and do our part.”
The blood drive was one of many organized by the Southern Nevada chapter of the American Red Cross. The national organization provides about 40% of the blood inventory, stocking 2,500 hospitals and blood transfusion centers across the U.S., including 14 hospitals in Southern Nevada, said Cynthia De La Torre, regional spokeswoman for the organization.
During normal times, the Red Cross must collect blood from about 13,000 donors a day to keep the medical facilities appropriately stocked with a five-day supply. Currently, as patients are getting elective surgeries, including transplants, which were postponed during the height of the global pandemic, the Red Cross is struggling to keep up with a half-day supply of Type O blood, De La Torre said.
Blood donated in Southern Nevada is taken to a distribution facility here and then transported to Utah, where it’s tested, processed, and packaged before it’s brought back to the valley.
Blood has a shelf life of 42 days, but “as soon as we’re getting it in” it’s being used, De La Torre said. “We can’t really keep up with the pace right now.”
Up to 40% of deaths that occur in trauma centers are due to a massive loss of blood. Hospitals are seeing an increase of trauma victims this summer, and the donations help “doctors fight for their patients,” De La Torre said.
Shortages have occurred in the past, such as in the early days of the pandemic, when many locations that hosted blood drives were shuttered. But as it stands now, blood drives are back in business and willing donors are needed. If the pay-it-forward motivation doesn’t suffice, there are incentives. This month, the Red Cross of Southern Nevada is providing free $10 Amazon gift cards for each donor, and donors are automatically entered into a raffle for free gasoline for a year, a $5,000 value, De La Torre said.
The Red Cross has enlisted donation advocates, such as Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., who recently gave blood and filmed a public service announcement.
In the video, published on her social media in late June, Cortez Masto tells her constituents to “help avoid delays in life-saving medical care for patients this summer,” she said. “More donations are needed to replenish the blood supply and help address the extraordinary blood needs of hospitals and patients right now.”
“Be a hero to a patient in need,” she added.
Prospective donors can find blood drives and book appointments in their area by entering their ZIP code at redcrossblood.org or by calling 1-800-Red-Cross. Ideal candidates must weigh at least 110 pounds, have good health, no symptoms of illness and be at least 17 years of age. Sixteen-year-olds also can donate with parental approval. In most cases, there is no deferral time for those who received a COVID-19 vaccine as long as they are symptom-free and feeling well at the time of donation.
Donors can give blood every 56 days, De La Torre said.
To accelerate the process, donors can fill out a preliminary questionnaire online and obtain a rapid pass that can save about 15 minutes by downloading the Red Cross app.
Before donating, experts recommend that the person eat a healthy meal and stay hydrated.
De La Torre said that she first donated blood in high school but that she didn’t know how crucial donations were until the premature birth of her daughter 17 years ago. Both she and the newborn were severely anemic during birth and needed blood transfusions, which came from the Red Cross.
"People don’t think about that,” she said. “People have babies every day.”
“What if they didn’t have blood for my daughter and myself?” was on her mind when she decided to join the organization four years ago.
Addressing prospective donors, De La Torre said: “You really will be making a meaningful impact in a patient’s life just by donating,” she said. “By one donation, you can save a life.”
