By David Murphy, Red Cross volunteer
The ability to overcome challenges is essential to accomplishing the basic missions of the American Red Cross. But the COVID-19 pandemic was a new kind of challenge, with no ready-made answers. “The blood region that New Jersey is part of needs to collect 600 units of blood every day to keep hospitals in supply. That went out the window,” recalls Rosie Taravella, CEO, American Red Cross New Jersey Region.
In the spring and early summer of 2020, the country had been shut down. The supply of blood and blood donors had literally run dry. On March 17 of that year, more than 70 blood drives were cancelled, leaving the Red Cross New Jersey Region more than 2,000 units behind. But the problem wasn’t just that they were getting behind, it was that there was no clear way to catch up.
“We rely heavily on schools and corporations to host blood drives. We have some fixed sites where people can make appointments, but most collections are at mobile sites, schools and corporations. When the pandemic came along, schools closed, and corporations had people work from home. We lost a large number of drives,” said Taravella.
Janet George Murnick has been a Red Cross volunteer for 15 years. She worked with the Red Cross in VA hospitals until access was restricted because of the pandemic. She set her sights on solving the same problem the rest of the Red Cross was facing - where to find badly needed blood. “I looked at non-traditional sites,” she says. “Libraries, churches, synagogues… I approached them in several counties, but many were reluctant to have anyone in their facilities, especially when their own patrons and parishioners weren’t allowed in.”
Through patience and by assuring sites that the Red Cross would act with an abundance of caution, she slowly convinced some sites that it would be safe enough to hold a blood drive. “One by one, they became involved,” Murnick says. One of the first places that agreed to open its doors was the Clarence Dillon Public Library in Bedminster. Janet contacted library director Marie Crenshaw in June of 2020, a month before the library was allowed to open publicly. Despite that, Marie says she trusted the Red Cross to provide the proper precautions and opened the library’s doors to the first of 16 monthly drives. “We trusted that the Red Cross, of all organizations, would know how to do this safely.” The library’s first drive was in honor of AlTerek Patterson, a local police officer who died of COVID-19. The library has held a blood drive every month since, the most recent taking place in October.
Libraries alone weren’t enough, however, to meet the consistent demand for blood and volunteers continued to seek out new venues. “The Red Cross is dedicated to disaster response,” says Taravella. “We looked at this as a disaster and pulled out all the stops. We went to our partners – one wonderful partner was the YMCA. Many in New Jersey altered their schedules to put emergency drives on their calendars. We also went to elected officials. We reached out to lawmakers, mayors, county executives and asked for their help – and they did.”
With more and more venues agreeing to host drives, the next challenge was to convince the public that it was safe. The Red Cross issued press releases numerous times in the past year, calling for volunteers to donate blood as supplies fell to their lowest levels in years. In September, the national Red Cross blood inventory held less than a day’s supply of certain blood type. The supply of types O positive and O negative blood, the most needed blood types by hospitals, periodically fell to less than a half-day supply in recent weeks. The situation has become more complicated as hospitals have resumed elective surgeries, increasing the need for blood, while donations have remained relatively low. In August, COVID-19 cases spiked due to the Delta variant, causing blood donations to fall 10 percent.
“People are obviously very cautious – the original messaging that went out was ‘essential’. People thought blood drives weren’t essential. So we had to turn that around.” Rosie Taravella says Governor Phil Murphy played a key role in helping the Red Cross adjust its messaging. “He said it was essential – people said I can do it... I have to do it. We put additional safety protocols in place and many, like social distancing and wearing masks, remain. The safety of our donors and staff continues to be our top priority. People understand they are entering a safe and necessary environment.”
The Red Cross remains in need of lifesaving blood and blood products as the emergency blood shortage continues. Donors of all blood types – especially type O – and platelet donors are urged to make an appointment to give now and in the weeks ahead to help overcome the shortage.
How to donate blood
A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Donors are urged to schedule an appointment now by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.