Red Cross: Urgent need for blood and platelet donations now
ST. LOUIS - The American Red Cross has an urgent need for blood and platelet donors to give now to ensure blood is available for medical treatments and emergencies during the holiday season.
Blood and platelet donations often decline during the holidays. Regular donors are busy with holiday activities, and travel and severe winter weather may cause blood drive cancellations. Yet donations remain critical for patients like 4-year-old Wyatt Monacelli who is in the midst of intense chemotherapy treatments for leukemia. He has received a number of transfusions since his diagnosis in June and will likely need more.
"We are fortunate to have had so many donors give the gift of life to our child so far throughout the course of his treatment, and even more so, we are lucky to have had a supply of blood available for him when he needed it," said Julianna Monacelli, Wyatt's mother.
Donors are urged to give now to ensure that families like Wyatt's don't have to worry about the availability of blood this winter. In thanks for helping meet the urgent need around the holidays, all those who come to donate blood or platelets now through Dec. 19, 2018, will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email. (Restrictions apply; see amazon.com/gc-legal. More information and details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Together.)
Make an appointment to donate blood or platelets by downloading the free American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Another way to help keep the blood supply strong is to host a Red Cross blood drive this winter. To learn more about hosting a blood drive and to sign up, visit RedCrossBlood.org/HostADrive.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities are at the following locations Nov. 28-Dec. 19:
Perry County
Cutler
12/10/2018: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Cutler Community Center, 409 South Main
Pinckneyville
12/14/2018: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Pinckneyville Community Hospital, 5383 State Route 154
Franklin County
Benton
12/4/2018: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., St. Joseph Catholic Church, 506 West Main
12/12/2018: 12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m., Franklin Hospital, 201 Bailey Lane
Zeigler
11/30/2018: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Zeigler Royalton High School, 4989 State Highway 148 North
Jackson County
Carbondale
12/5/2018: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Southern Illinois University Carbondale Lindegren Hall, 120 Lindegren, SIU Mailcode 6516
12/5/2018: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Lentz Hall, Lentz Hall, 1275 Point
12/7/2018: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Southern Illinois University Carbondale Greek Student Center, 1255 Lincoln Drive
12/9/2018: 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., First Christian Church, 306 West Monroe
12/11/2018: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 303 South Poplar Street
12/14/2018: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., SIH System Office, University Mall, 1239 East Main
Murphysboro
12/7/2018: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., Pleasant Hill Christian Church, 6415 Ava Road
Williamson County
Carterville
11/28/2018: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., John A Logan College, 700 Logan College Road
12/5/2018: 2:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., Carterville Community Center, 120 North Greenbriar
Herrin
11/28/2018: 4 p.m. - 8 p.m., Herrin Church of Christ, 3101 South Park Avenue
12/4/2018: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Herrin Chamber of Commerce, 3 South Park Street
Marion
12/3/2018: 4 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Jefferson Elementary, 700 East Boulevard
12/4/2018: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Aldersgate Methodist Church, 1201 Fair Street
12/12/2018: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., Cornerstone Community Church, 2705 Walton Way