This June, we launched the Missing Types campaign to encourage new blood donors, as well as donors who have not given in years, to donate blood and help meet the critical need for lifesaving blood products for patients.
Did you know every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood, but for the past four years, new Red Cross donors declined by about 80,000 each year?
The blood donor base is shrinking. More blood donors are needed now to fill the gaps.
Are you the #MissingType?
As part of the campaign, the letters A, B, and O – letters used to identify blood types –disappeared across the country and around the world from corporate logos, iconic brands, social media and frequently visited websites to illustrate the critical role every blood donor plays.
Many may not realize just how important the letters A, B and O can be until they’re gone. For a hospital patient who needs type A, B or O blood, those letters mean life.
Last month, about 40 national partners and more than a thousand local partners across the country joined the Red Cross in this effort.
Lead partners who joined the campaign to help raise awareness for the need for new blood donors included: Adobe, Anheuser-Busch, AvalonBay Communities, Inc., Domino’s, Dropbox, Google, IBM, Land O’Lakes, Inc., Mastercard, Nationwide, Neiman Marcus, the New York Yankees, Oreo, PayPal, Salesforce, State Farm®, Sunoco and U.S. Bank.
Each day, blood and platelets are needed for accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease. For those who have never donated before, or who haven’t rolled up a sleeve in a few years, our message is clear: You are the missing type. And patients need you.
The need for blood continues
Blood donations often drop around Independence Day due to summer vacations and fewer volunteer-hosted blood drives, and this year is no exception. We urge those who have never donated blood or platelets, as well as current donors, to make a donation appointment now and help sustain a sufficient blood supply this summer. Those who come to give blood or platelets from July 2 – July 7 will receive a special edition Red Cross t-shirt as a special thank you, while supplies last.
Don’t wait until blood types go missing from the hospital shelves. Make an appointment to give blood by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, using the free Red Cross Blood Donor App or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
In most states, individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.