Kelli M. Dugan

Staff Writer

SPANISH FORT, Ala.—Organizers of an April 4 blood drive at the Verizon Wireless Communications store are hopeful their goal of 50 donors will help area blood banks offset a shortage of negative blood types.

Michelle Fields, assistant store manager for the Spanish Fort Verizon location, wanted to create an avenue for local residents to support the community without dipping into their pocketbooks.

“Times are hard, and I know a lot of people like me really want to find a way to help, but they don’t think one person can make a difference,” Fields said. “We just want to get a lot of people out here and give them something to feel good about.”

Fields, who has never personally donated blood, contacted LifeSouth Community Blood Centers about the drive and discovered there is actually a shortage for negative blood types.

Tasha Lamb, branch manager for LifeSouth’s  Baldwin Regional Headquarters in Daphne, said weekly need for the center’s coverage area hovers around 208 units and all negative blood types are in critical demand at this time.

“O-negative is what we call the universal donor (type), meaning it can be given to anyone during an emergency situation when a patient’s blood type might not be known,” said Lamb, noting A-negative, B-negative and AB-negative are also in strong demand locally.

See the rest of this story in the March 26 Spanish Fort Sun.