Urgent need for blood donations

The American Red Cross has an urgent need for blood and platelet donors to give now to ensure blood is available for medical treatments and emergencies during the holiday season.

Blood and platelet donations often decline during the holidays. Regular donors are busy with holiday activities, and travel and severe winter weather may cause blood drive cancellations. Yet donations remain critical for patients like 4-year-old Wyatt Monacelli who is in the midst of intense chemotherapy treatments for leukemia. He has received a number of transfusions since his diagnosis in June and will likely need more.

“We are fortunate to have had so many donors give the gift of life to our child so far throughout the course of his treatment, and even more so, we are lucky to have had a supply of blood available for him when he needed it,” said Julianna Monacelli, Wyatt’s mother.

In thanks for helping meet the urgent need around the holidays, all those who come to donate blood or platelets now through Dec. 19 will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card via email. Make an appointment to donate blood or platelets by downloading the free American Red Cross Blood Donor app, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767).

Another way to help keep the blood supply strong is to host a Red Cross blood drive this winter. To learn more and to sign up, visit RedCrossBlood.org/HostADrive.

Blood drives in our region:

• Lehighton: 1-6 p.m. Dec. 14 at Zion United Church of Christ, 225 Iron St.

• Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono, 206 E. Brown St., will host blood drives on the following days: from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 1 and 6, and 1-6 p.m. Dec. 14.

• American Legion Post No. 927, 1 Fairground Road, Gilbert, 1-6 p.m. Friday.