For the past few months I have been seeing in The Pilot that the Red Cross needs blood.  In particular they are at Emergency levels of O-negative and at Critical levels for A-negative.  I am A-negative and knew that I should get over there and donate but kept putting it off.  Finally, last Friday, I called and made an appointment for Monday.  I spent a good part of the weekend stressing over it – I have donated before and it always hurts me.  I usually bruise pretty badly and am sore for some time.  People tell me it doesn’t hurt, just the initial stick, but that just isn’t the case with me.  But then I started to think “what if I had an accident and needed blood?  There might not be any!”  This led to thinking “what if Ryan (my 6-year-old son) has an accident and needs blood?“  Ryan is O-negative.  I can not donate blood for him.  My husband can not donate blood for him (he is A-positive).  What would we do?  I decided that the 2 things I can do are: (1) DONATE and (2) Ask everyone I know to donate, especially if they are O-negative.  So please, if you are O-negative or know someone who is, please think of Ryan and go donate and ask others to donate.

The American Red Cross, Moore County Chapter, 244 S.W. Broad Street, Southern Pines. For information call 692-8571.

Donors must be 17 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds, and not have donated blood in the last 8 weeks (56 days). Call 866-562-7156 for more information.  

Blood inventories are as follows: O Positive, O Negative, and B Negative remain at EMERGENCY status; A Negative remains at CRITICAL Status.

There is no longer an upper age limit to donate blood. Donors must be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds.

Go to the website for when and where the next blood drive is.http://www.redcrossmoorenc.org/