The American Red Cross is cancelling an unusually high number of blood drives because of severe weather, and this had let to a shortage of blood donations in Indiana and other parts of the country.
Holiday traveling between Thanksgiving and New Year's causes blood donations to drop off around this time every year. According to the American Red Cross, however, severe weather forced the cancellation of 300 blood drives nationwide since January 11 th, including 23 in southern Indiana.
"And that's caused 674 blood and platelet donations to go uncollected in that area alone," says Tiffany Taylor, External Communications Manager for the Tennessee Valley & River Valley Regions of the American Red Cross.
The whole country is experiencing a shortage, but Taylor says donations are used to serve the local area as much as possible.
"Now, if southern Indiana recoups, and doing good there, then if there is a need in one of the other 20 states throughout the nation that are experiencing what we're experiencing, then some of the donations may be sent there," Taylor says.
Donors can track where their blood ends up using the Red Cross smart phone app.