LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Calling it a “pop up” drive, the Kentucky Blood Center staged an emergency blood drive inside the student center on the UK campus on Friday.
“We’ve had seven (blood drive) cancellations, where we would’ve expected about 300 donations, so we’re operating from a deficit of that right now,” said Martha Osborne, KBC’s Vice President of Marketing.
Osborne said illness has been the leading cause of so many recent cancellations. Now, finally, a little winter weather played a role too.
“The state of Kentucky transfuses more blood than is donated on a regular basis,” Osborne noted, which means a cancellation of any kind is likely to leave the blood center with a shortage.
“Obviously, it’s to offset (the shortage),” Osborne said of the goal of today’s pop up drive. She also stressed that today’s drive is separate of their normal donation centers, which always maintain regular hours.
Mandy Brajuha works in the center’s marketing division, so she knows how to sell potential donors on the benefit of giving blood.
“I don’t think anybody runs to donate blood because they love the needle,” she joked. “It’s more of a necessary evil that’s part of giving you an intrinsic reward,” she said.
One donor can have a massive impact on another person in need. Conversely, just one missed donation, can leave someone in a fight for his, or her life.
“There’s not much else you can do, in ten minutes, to save three lives,” Brajuha said.
