CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There's a critical shortage of blood that's making it even harder for doctors to save lives. Blood donations have reached emergency levels.
That shortage could be traced to holiday travel.
Donations typically drop during the summer months.
People showed up Monday to donate blood at Grace Baptist Church in Statesville
"I got an email just said there are urgent needs for Type-O blood," donor Valerie Walker said.
Across the Carolinas, blood donations are at critical levels. The Red Cross said supplies are low for Type-O blood, which is most commonly used in emergency rooms and pregnancy wards.
"We're at an emergency need right now,” said Maya Franklin, with The Red Cross. “What that means is blood is being distributed to hospitals faster than it's coming in. We're checking demand every day, trying to maintain the demand that our hospitals are requesting."
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