National Emergency Blood Shortage

Red Cross blood donors make meaningful moments possible
Donations needed to overcome national blood shortage and help prevent delays in crucial patient care
While it may be easy to lose sight of where your blood flows after you leave the donation center or a blood drive, others can clearly see the exact implications of blood donations.
Brent Danzeisen is a donor that feels these impacts within his family. Brent had donated blood in the past and began again when his wife, Shari, started receiving weekly blood transfusions due to cancer treatments. Brent may have felt as many other donors do – knowing that their blood helps someone, somewhere. Now, the final destination of a blood donation’s journey is very relevant to Brent and his family.
Shari usually receives two transfusions weekly of 1-2 units, but recently was only able to receive 1 unit due to the national severe blood shortage. “Better than nothing!” Brent says. While being able to receive 1 unit of blood is still valuable, it may not provide Shari with the same energy that 2 units would.
Brent credits Shari’s blood transfusions for making many meaningful moments possible. “With the transfusions she receives, she was able to attend the Confirmation of our daughter this spring and has been able to attend our two boys’ baseball games so far this summer.” The quick and easy experiences Brent has had donating blood have certainly provided other families with similar moments.
“I would like to say to anyone who is thinking about it, just do it!” urges Brent, and donating blood really is as simple as that. “Half hour every other month is not a huge time commitment to help save a life or to give someone the opportunity to see their kids’ ball game or other major life event.”
The possibilities of what blood donations do down the road may seem difficult to picture, but for families like Brent and Shari’s they are anything but that. Shari’s blood transfusions are given her more time with her family.
As Brent has put it, “Thank you to all the donors, for without you the Red Cross would have no blood to give [Shari]!”