LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18)– Kentucky Blood Center is staying in close touch with fellow blood centers in the Carolinas and with national blood banking organizations in advance of hurricane Florence landfall. In addition, the Blood Center has agreed to act as a staging center to get blood products into affected areas should the need arise.
Last year, the Blood Center was able to help both Texas and Florida blood centers by sending platelets when local blood collections in those areas were suspended for several days due to heavy rains, flooding, and power outages after hurricanes last year.
Acting as a staging center if the need arises during this emergency would entail blood products being shipped to KBC from other blood centers and then working with couriers to get it to areas in need.
Kentucky Blood Center donor centers are listed below:
- Beaumont Donor Center: 3121 Beaumont Centre Circle, Lexington
- Andover Donor Center: 3130 Maple Leaf Drive, Lexington
- Middletown Donor Center: 12905 Shelbyville Road, Louisville
- Somerset Donor Center: 10 Stonegate Centre at Stoplight 16A
- Pikeville Donor Center: 472 S. Mayo Trail
To find mobile blood drives and donation information, visit kybloodcenter.org or by call 800.775-2522, ext. 3758.
Blood donors must be 17-years-old (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds and be in general good health. Donors must also show a photo I.D. with first and last name, like a state-issued driver’s license. Sixteen-year-old donors must have a signed parental permission slip, which can be found at kybloodcenter.org.
