Why Holiday Blood Donations Are So Important

“When the blood supply is low, I immediately have some anxiety associated with that because I know there's some tough decisions coming that day and a lot of work necessary to triage what we have to the right patient. It's always a challenge to know what patients should get blood first and which ones can wait till later.” — Dr. Darrell Triulzi, medical director of Vitalant Clinical Services in the Pittsburgh region.

While it’s true that blood is needed year-round, there are certain predictable times of the year when the blood supply drops because fewer people donate blood. One of those times is major holidays, especially the winter holidays.

Generally, those donation dips happen for obvious reasons. People are busy with other activities and don’t have the time to donate. They may be traveling or aren’t in the places they usually donate, such as schools. This can deplete the blood supply at times when there may be even more emergencies requiring blood such motor vehicle accidents.

The consequences of a low blood supply can be dire, as Dr. Triulzi explains in the video above. One patient with severe trauma can require 100 units or more of blood and blood products — which could be most of a hospital’s supply.

That’s why we ask eligible donors to consider giving an extra gift around the holidays, or even ask other people to donate during these time frames. Maybe you know someone who likes to volunteer or give a little something extra this time of year. Why not introduce them to blood donation, one of the simplest ways to make a huge impact?

“The reason blood is so important for patient care is it really drives our ability to support … surgeries, our cancer patients, our organ transplants and of course the emergency need for blood for trauma.” — Dr. Triulzi