The supply of crucial O- blood is running out at several Western New York hospitals, and ConnectLife needs the help of those universal donors to make sure it’s available for patients who need it.
As of the morning of July 3, local hospitals have less than a third of the O- blood that they aim to keep on the shelf. At some hospitals in Buffalo, that means as few as two units of O- blood available. The photo attached shows the shelves in ConnectLife’s cooler where O- blood is stored.
O- blood is critical for hospitals because it can be given to any patient regardless of their blood type, which matters in situations when minutes or even seconds can make the difference between life and death. It also is the only type of blood that O- patients can receive, which means O- donors who give are making sure it’s available for someone just like them as well…