MADISON — The American Red Cross is urging people of all races and ethnicities to give blood or platelets to help increase the diversity of the blood supply.
Alana Mauger, spokesperson for the Red Cross, explained the vast majority of blood types fall into one of the major blood groups.
For patients with rare blood types or those who receive regular blood transfusions, however, blood must be matched closely — beyond the primary A, B, O and AB blood types — to reduce the risk of developing complications from transfusion therapy. The best match may be someone of the same racial or ethnic group.
Donors of all blood types, as well as all races and ethnicities, are needed to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse patient population, Mauger concluded.
An American Red Cross blood drive is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 15, at the Madison Volunteer Ambulance Corps headquarters at 29 Prospect Street.
To schedule a blood donation appointment on a different date or locale, click here, or call 1-800-733-2767.
As a “thank-you,” those who give blood or platelets during the month of October will automatically be entered for a chance to win one of five $500 gift cards redeemable at hundreds of merchants, courtesy of Tango Card. Terms apply click here.
