#MissingType movement encourages blood donations

The American Red Cross is currently dealing with a shortage of the three main blood types: A, B and O.

A new survey done by the Red Cross found that the decline in supply of these blood types may be caused by the many misconceptions that surround blood donation.

According to this survey, nearly 74 percent of people underestimate how frequently blood transfusions occur. Nearly every two seconds, someone is in need of blood in the U.S. Around 35 percent of the public has never considered that blood may not be available, and almost half know someone who benefited from a blood transfusion.

The Red Cross is now facing an emergency blood shortage following a difficult Fourth of July week for blood donations, with hundreds fewer blood drives than a typical week and a resulting decline in donations.

Right now, blood is being distributed to hospitals faster than donations are coming in. All eligible donors are urgently needed to give now to help replenish the blood supply.

In an effort to combat this shortage, the Red Cross launched the #MissingType movement, in hopes that it will encourage both new donors and those who have not donated recently to donate.

As part of this movement, the letters A, B and O will be removed from brand logos, signs, social media pages and other websites to attract attention to the impact that each and every blood donor can make. Some of the companies that plan to participate include Adobe, Domino’s, Google, IBM, Land O’Lakes Inc., MasterCard, Nationwide, the New York Yankees, Oreo, PayPal, State Farm, Sunoco and U.S. Bank.

“Unfortunately, blood shortages still happen and the number of new Red Cross blood donors is shrinking each year,” said Cliff Numark, senior vice president, Red Cross Blood Services. “That’s why the Red Cross is asking those who have never donated blood and those who haven’t given in a while to make a lifesaving donation. You are the missing type patients need.”

Shortages in blood often lead to delays in medical treatment for those who need it the most. The American Red Cross needs to collect more than 13,000 blood donations every day to help patients from nearly 2,600 hospitals across the country. There are many different uses for blood donations, including heart surgery and organ transplant patients, those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease, and accident and burn victims.

The American Red Cross encourages donors to act now rather than later, because who knows when it might be too late.

To find a donation location, visit www.RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).