INDIANAPOLIS — Versiti Blood Center of Indiana is asking Hoosiers to help each other by donating blood or platelets as the nonprofit looks to fill thousands of open appointments.
As of Tuesday, Versiti says there are more than 2,500 open appointments at blood drives and donation centers statewide. Donating blood takes about an hour.
"You can give me literally billions of dollars, [the] smartest scientists in the world ... and we could not create in that laboratory what someone is gonna do in a donor chair today or tomorrow," Dr. Dan Waxman, vice president of transfusion medicine and senior medical director at Versiti, said. "Blood is life saving and we can't create it in a lab. We need volunteer donors to come up, roll up their sleeve and donate the gift of life."
Currently, Versiti anticipates the available inventory of blood to be at less than a one-day supply within the coming days; their goal is to have at least a three day supply.
They are also looking for platelet donors, which have a much shorter shelf life than blood donations. Donors of all blood types are encouraged to donate platelets.
Versiti has extended hours at its donor center locations through June 21 to provide more flexibility for donors. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome. To learn more or to sign up to donate, visit Versiti's website or call 317-916-5150.
Donor center locations:
- INDIANAPOLIS: 3450 N. Meridian St.
- FISHERS: 11005 Allisonville Road
- CARMEL: 726 Adams St., Suite 150
- GREENWOOD: 8739 U.S. 31 South
- LAFAYETTE: 2200 Elmwood Ave., Suite D-16
- TERRE HAUTE: 2021 S. Third St.
Anyone age 17 or older in good health who meets eligibility requirements is encouraged to give. Parental consent is required for donors age 16 to donate blood.
-
'It means that I can go to work': Local single mom gets free car
A single mom who’s been without a car for months got a new set of wheels Wednesday, and it didn't cost her a dime thanks to an auto-repair company with local ties.
South Madison Fire Territory expansion canceled due to new property tax law
Eight local governing bodies had previously agreed to expand the South Madison Fire Protection Territory, but now, that plan has to be scrapped.
Neighbors seek changes to the intersection of 16th and Delaware Street
Neighbors and community leaders on Indy’s Old North Side are calling for additional safety measures for what they say has long been a dangerous intersection.
AI data processing center could rise in Hancock County
Cloud computer technology, including artificial intelligence, needs data centers to function. A developer hopes to convert more than 700 acres of Hancock County farmland into an AI data campus.
