ST. LOUIS — ImpactLife and the Blood Emergency Readiness Corps said they are in desperate need of blood donations after they were activated to help health care systems in Texas following Tuesday's school shooting.
The Blood Emergency Readiness Corps(BERC) is sending units of Type O-negative blood to Texas over the weekend to help replenish what was used in the immediate aftermath of the shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Because of this and an expected decrease in donations in the coming weeks, the BERC is making a push for more donors.
“We are facing a critical and urgent need for donors of all blood types and donation procedures,” Amanda Hess with ImpactLife said in a press release. “O-negative — the universal blood type — is especially needed, along with platelets, which can come from donors of every blood type. We ask all donors to schedule appointments as soon as possible to help ensure we continue to meet patient need for the hospitals we serve.”
To set up an appointment to donate blood, click here.
ImpactLife is a not-for-profit community organization that provides blood services to 124 hospitals in Illinois and Missouri as well as Iowa and Wisconsin. It is also a member of the BERC.
The BERC "was founded in 2021 to help blood providers meet immediate transfusion needs when faced with a large-scale emergency," their website said. "Through BERC, participating blood centers from across the United States have joined forces to prepare for mass transfusion disasters, ensuring their ability to meet emerging needs without delay or uncertainty."
