News Release: October 6, 2004
Contact: Janice Osborne, Director-Communications and Marketing
(610) 865-4400, ext. 262
Effects of Hurricane Ivan crippled several American Red Cross Blood Centers
in the path of the storm, impacting the Centers' ability to collect blood for hospital
patients in their areas.
The Gulf Coast Blood Services Region, headquartered in Mobile, Alabama,
and the Puerto Rico Region shut down operations due to the storm, losing potential
blood donations. The very large Southern Region in Atlanta, Georgia and Alabama Region
in Birmingham, Alabama also felt the effects of Ivan.
Blood donors in the Carbon County area are reminded it is now more important
than ever for them to give blood. The American Red Cross will need a stable, adequate
blood inventory across the country so patient care in the storm-affected areas is not potentially
compromised due to not enough blood being available.
Currently the Red Cross blood inventory across the country is at a lower
than ideal level. Should that situation continue, the Red Cross system would not
be able to adequately support blood needs in the areas affected by the storms.
"The blood needs of patients in our area, as well as patients in the path
of Hurricane Ivan, can only be met by people here at home giving blood now," said
Northeastern Pennsylvania Blood Services Chief Executive Officer Donald R. Fipps.
"Blood has to be donated, tested, processed, and available on the shelves when needed.
All this can take as many as three days. Patients and doctors can't afford to wait those
two to three days. We are urging people to call 1-800-GIVE LIFE to schedule a donation now."
The American Red Cross Bloodmobile will make the following visits in Carbon County
during the month of October:
• Wednesday, Oct. 13, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Blue Mountain Health Systems
Incorporated Conference Center (formerly the Gnaden Huetten Conference Center),
Sixth & Iron streets, Lehighton; and
• Thursday, Oct. 21, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Jim Thorpe Memorial Hall,
East 10th Street in Jim Thorpe.
The American Red Cross is asking everyone who is at least 17 years old,
who weighs at least 105 pounds, and who is healthy to please give blood and help
build the area's blood supply to a safe level.
