Jackson General hosts blood drive for LIFELINE amid patient surge

JACKSON, Tenn. — On Wednesday, Jackson-Madison County General Hospital hosted a blood drive for LIFELINE Blood Services.

“We are collecting blood at the hospital today, we are in a very, very bad need of blood right now,” said Hope Prietz, LIFELINE’s donor services coordinator. “We’re running low as far as I know on everything.”

Hospitals across the nation are facing blood shortages, and they depend on organizations like LIFELINE to help build supply.

“It takes somewhere around 550 units of blood a week for LIFELINE Blood Services to provide the hospitals and AirVac’s and transport stuff we service, and we’re just not there right now,” Prietz said.

When donation quotas aren’t met, LIFELINE has to reach out to blood centers around the country.

“The trouble is that those blood centers are not getting enough blood as they need either, so we’re all kind of like a big exchange right now, ‘I need this, I need that,’ everyone is trying to get what they need to get from everyone else.”

LIFELINE is in need of any and all types of blood. Now some people may think certain vaccines or shots make them ineligible to donate, but you might be surprised.

“A lot of people think the COVID vaccine will prevent you [from giving blood], that’s simply not true. You can give blood the day you get the COVID vaccine, so please don’t let that stop you.”

Anyone can walk right up to the LIFELINE buses and donate blood.

If you’d like more information about donating, click here.

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