SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah mother is pleading with the community to donate blood and platelets amid a national shortage.
Jori Niemann’s 4-year-old son Ripplen has pediatric neuroblastoma, an incredibly dangerous form of cancer.
“If we don’t have someone that donates blood and platelets, I don’t know that my son’s going to live another day,” said Niemann.
He relies on platelets and blood transfusions to survive, and only a few months into his 18-month treatment, he has been turned away by the hospital staff and has had to wait longer times for blood and platelets because there aren’t enough available.
“So we’re literally at the mercy of ‘Are they gonna have a donation?’ And what happens if they don’t or if they have too many kids that are critical because they’ve been having to put them off?” said Niemann. “I just can’t even put into words how terrifying that is.”
The American Red Cross has had a record-breaking 534 blood drives canceled nationwide in January because of winter weather conditions.