Northwestern Medicine, Red Cross hold community blood drive in Bronzeville
Northwestern Medicine and the American Red Cross teamed up for a community blood drive in Chicago on Monday morning.
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Northwestern Medicine and the American Red Cross teamed up for a community blood drive in Chicago on Monday morning.
The American Red Cross has declared a severe shortage after the blood supply dropped 35% in the past month.
The organization is dealing with a severe blood shortage as hospitals need more than what is available. Joining Dana Kozlov and Marissa Perlman is Kellie O’Connell, regional chief executive officer of the Illinois Red Cross office.
Thursday is also World Sickle Cell Awareness Day, to bring attention to a disease often treated with blood transfusions.
As Bradley Blackburn explains, Saturday is World Blood Donor Day, but the summer months are usually difficult for the nation's blood supply, with a dip in donations.
People with the disease often get sudden, debilitating bouts of pain.
In the Chicago area, the American Red Cross collects about 1,000 units of blood per day. It sounds like a lot, but the need for blood donations is huge and constant.
Last year, the Food and Drug Administration lifted rules put in place in the 80s during the AIDS/HIV crisis.
After devastating storms in parts of the South and the Midwest, Trevor Riggen, president of humanitarian services with the American Red Cross, discusses how the organization is preparing volunteers ahead of hurricane season.
The American Red Cross issued an alert saying they are experiencing an emergency blood shortage as the nation faces the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years. Visit
Blood donors are needed now more than ever as the Red Cross is facing an emergency shortage.
"It will bring tears to my eyes seeing everyone in here because just knowing that without them, I wouldn't be here today."
"I wouldn't have lived a month had I not gotten started getting blood."
The drive runs from 3:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
The American Red Cross says donations have been way down since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They currently need more than 13,000 donations a day just to keep up with demand.
"We're hoping they're going to come back and hopefully when they hear about the mixed reality, they're going to want to come in and try it."
Twenty-two Attorneys General, including Illinois' Kwame Raoul, are calling for an end to the FDA's blood donation policy they say stigmatizes the LGBTQ+ community.
The Chicago Auto Show will get underway today but this year you can drive to save lives.
