INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Blood Center’s supply is dwindling and they are in need of people to step up and donate.
The shelves inside of the Indiana Blood Center freezer are mostly empty. I few bags here and there… but overall, the center is in severe need of blood donations.
Maria Keyler with the Indiana Blood Center says there is a high need for O negative and O positive blood types specifically, but all types are in short supply.
Regular donors like Ron Grammas are doing their part.
"I have something somebody needs so let them have it, it's a gift,” said Grammas.
Grammas has been donating platelets every other week for more than 25 years.
As of today, he has donated close to 30 gallons of blood.
"I used to donate whole blood and then found out that they needed platelet donors and my understanding is most of the platelets go to kids with cancer, leukemia, things like that and I thought okay I could do that,” said Grammas.
As of today, he has donated close to 30 gallons of blood.
The blood shortage Indiana is experiencing is common this time of year.
"Donations really decline during these winter months,” said Keyler
Keyler says people go out of town for the holidays and donating is not on their top priority list. They also have to defer some of their regular donors due to flu and other illnesses.
Grammas says platelet donation usually takes about an hour. He watches Netflix while he waits, then, he walks out of the blood center knowing he made a difference in someone’s life.
"Roughly on a day we need 550 units to supply our hospital demands and then anything beyond that with accidents that you can't predict so it's really important that our shelves are full all the time just in case we do have those tragic events,” said Keyler.
Grammas says platelet donation usually takes about an hour. He watches Netflix while he waits, then, he walks out of the blood center knowing he made a difference in someone’s life.
“It takes a little bit of time every other week but giving back to people that need something I have,” said Grammas.
To find locations and schedule an appointment to donate blood visit DonorPoint.org or contact the call center at 317-916-5150
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