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Blood banks ask for more donations as supplies run low

CHARLOTTE — Tina Harrison is a proud mother, grandmother and friend. She wouldn’t hold those titles today if it weren’t for her angels on earth.

“I was in rehab and the hospital. I was in a coma for 12 days. The doctors had only given me 24 hours to live. They had told my parents that,” Harrison recalled from an incident in 1991.

A tragic accident left Harrison with critical injuries a lifesaving blood transfusion gave her a future.

She received seven units from strangers.

“I wouldn’t be here without them. People coming out and taking a few minutes out of their day to donate blood and save lives because I’ve been there,” she remembered.

Representatives with OneBlood and the American Red Cross reported dangerously low blood supply levels.

Campuses and offices where blood drives usually take place aren’t as busy, so donation centers need you to come out to renew the supply.

“It’s challenging right now for blood centers across the country to be able to collect donations because the pandemic has really up and did the traditional venues for blood drives,” said Susan Forbes, senior vice president of communications at OneBlood.

That makes Diane Buys’ role that much more vital. She’s already donated 109 gallons of blood and platelets to strangers in need.

“It feels good that I have extra product that people need that I’m physically able to help them,” explained Buys. “It’s a good feeling.”

Buys’ generosity lives on through the gift of life. Donations give people like Harrison a second chance. She used hers to work at One Blood and watch life come full circle.

“I had to have blood to keep me here along with the Lord saving me,” said a grateful Harrison.

People can give 30 minutes of their time in a donation chair to give years of life to the person on the other end.

OneBlood features two programs so donors can learn where their blood donation goes.

Message My Donor lets patients or family members send an electronic message to their donor(s).

My OneBlood Journey notifies donors when their blood or platelet donation is on the way. The program also informs donors which hospital will receive the donation.

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OneBlood’s Message My Donor is a program rolling out across OneBlood’s service area and enables blood recipients to send a thank you message directly to the blood donor(s) who helped save their life.

A Message My Donor tag is attached to donations OneBlood sends to hospitals. The patient or a family member takes the tag and follows the instructions to send an electronic message to their donor(s).

The My OneBlood Journey program notifies donors when their donation is on the way to help a patient and even lets donors know which hospital is receiving their lifesaving gift.

To participate in the programs donors simply need to provide their email address at the time of donation.

“My OneBlood Journey and Message My Donor are bringing the donation experience full-circle by personalizing the donation experience for donors and by bringing them a step closer to the patients they are helping save,” said Forbes.