Chicago’s Blood Banks Get Desperate For Donations
Chicago’s Blood Banks Get Desperate For Donations
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Chicago’s blood supply is critically low, according to the American Red Cross, Heartland Blood Centers and LifeSource. Donations usually dip going into the summer, coinciding with the end of the school year and potential donors going on vacation, but local blood bank officials say the shortage this summer is the worst they’ve seen in years, and there isn’t an explanation. This is particularly troubling as donated blood helps treat victims of the city’s violence.
Morning Shift talks to Matt Pitcher, donor recruitment manager for the American Red Cross of Chicago and Northern Illinois, about how Chicago’s low blood supply is affecting the city’s hospitals.