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American Red Cross looks for donations to make up for recent blood supply shortage

To make up for a shortage in the past couple of months, the American Red Cross is looking for donations to keep up with patients' needs.

PORTLAND, Maine — The American Red Cross is working double-time this month, as a shortage of blood donations paired with a busy summer hasn't left enough to meet demands. 

This month in Maine, the Red Cross is hosting multiple mobile donation sites across the state as a result.

"We had a huge deficit that happened in August. It's hurricane season. Disasters are happening all over the country," said account manager Edward Scott as he helped out at one donation center. 

He says on top of a busy travel season, the blood supply is 25 percent less than the desired amounts to meet demands from patients and hospitals alike. Donation levels by business-sponsored drives have even seen a 40-percent decline last summer; failing to meet pre-pandemic levels.

In order to meet those demands, the Red Cross must collect 10,000 blood products each week this month.

"That's why these drives are so important. We're not just trying to get a target. We're trying to over-collect to make up for those numbers lost," Scott added. 

Although all blood types are welcome, donation centers specifically look for both type "O" blood types, as well as negative blood types. 

One Mainer who understands personally what blood donations can do is Terry Flaherty of Yarmouth, who lost her husband, Lt. Tim Flaherty, about eleven years ago due to a rare blood cancer. 

To this day, Flaherty hosts an annual blood drive in his honor to not only help the Red Cross in a time of need but to also continue her husband's legacy of giving back. 

"So hadn't he had [blood transfusions] and hadn't people come out, we would've lost him sooner," Flaherty said. "People are getting blood he got, and they're able to live a little bit longer like he did. So I know he's up there, smiling with all of his other heroes."

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