Lifeline Blood Services in desperate need of donors

JACKSON, Tenn. — “We are in desperate need of all blood types,” Lifeline Blood Services public relations coordinator Cherie Parker said Tuesday. “We have had an unusually high usage of blood over the last week.”

Parker said she’s reaching out to ask the public for their help. She also said their blood inventory is so low that in their distribution area where their racks are usually full, they now look nearly empty.

The blood service said it isn’t uncommon for their blood supply to be low during November.

“However, it is very unusual for us to be this low going into December,” Parker said.

Parker said they can meet their requirement for area hospitals, but not without help from blood donations.

One blood donor says he has been giving blood ever since finding out the benefits it would have to his family.

“I give blood because my wife and both of my children have bleeding disorders, so it really hits home to me,” blood donor Bryan Byrd said.

Byrd said he’s been giving blood ever since.

“I’ve been giving blood for a couple years now, but I try to do it as often as I can fit it into my schedule,” Byrd said.

“We always say, and it is true, that 30 minutes of your time means a lifetime to somebody else, and the bottom line is, you don’t know who you’re helping when you donate,” Parker said.

“Just knowing somebody needing this, and I’m going to resupply anyways, so if it can help somebody else, then it didn’t really cost me anything to do this,” Byrd said.

For more information on the hours and location of Lifeline Blood Services, along with Bloodmobile locations, visit the Seen on 7 section of our website.