SunCoast Blood Centers, located in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties, is asking for blood donations after two surgeries needed more donated blood than expected.
SunCoast provides blood for nine different hospitals across these counties.
An open heart surgery and a childbirth both required the use of platelets and blood during the procedures. They required more than 200 units of blood, putting SunCoast in the face of a blood shortage.
CEO Scott Buch said SunCoast sees a decline in donations during the summer months, which makes the appeal for blood even more pressing.
“The summer months are always challenging for blood collections, and the recent traumas have put an unprecedented strain on our reserves,” Buch said in a statement to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. “We are calling on all eligible donors to help us ensure a stable blood supply for patients in need.”
SunCoast Blood Centers is also calling for O-negative blood donors. In a recent post on its Facebook page, it said that they are in short supply of O-negative blood, the blood type held by less than 7% of the population.
To encourage donors, it’s offering different prizes and giveaways to donors who give blood through July 7. Prizes include a Yeti cooler, a travel voucher and a pair of e-bikes.
With donation centers located in Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota, Venice, Bradenton and Port Charlotte, donations can be scheduled online.
