People may rarely think about their blood type, but the reality is, every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. Here at the Red Cross, we rely on donors of all types to give blood and platelets to meet the demand. But what if your ‘type’ were to go missing?
Throughout this week, the letters A, O, and B (the main blood types) will disappear from signage, brands, publications, and social media posts. With support from 21 countries, the Missing Type campaign seeks to raise awareness of the need for all blood types during the challenging summer season. We believe that together, we can be a powerful force to raise awareness for blood donations across the world.
Check out The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore and our own President & CEO Gail McGovern showing their support! Other U.S. participants include: Fandango, Morgan Stanley, the Denver Broncos, Chicago Blackhawks, Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins, and the New York Stock Exchange. Keep an eye on the hashtag #MissingType for additional supporters.
Missing Type Campaign: The Backstory
Last year, the National Health Service in the U.K. created the Missing Type campaign for their National Blood Week. Take a closer look at what they did:
How You Can Help: Calling all Blood and Platelet Donors
We rely on our blood and platelet donors to ensure we have all blood types in supply to help treat critically ill patients, whether they have been in an accident, had complications during surgery, or need blood replacement therapy for various cancers and diseases. Patients like 6-year-old Emma, who is spending her summer swimming and playing, thanks to Red Cross donors. She was born with a rare condition which prevented her body from processing protein. A few months ago, she had a liver transplant. Donated blood was needed to make Emma’s surgery possible.
You can help provide life-saving blood to patients in need. Make an appointment now to give blood or platelets to help ensure that your type never goes missing.
Extra Credit
Want to spread the word to your friends and family? Take a picture with our selfie sign (grab it here), write your name with any As, Os and Bs removed (for example, our founder’s sign would say Cl_r_ _ _rt_n) and post to your social media accounts with the hashtag #MissingType.