Coffee Memorial Is At One Day Supply Critical Need

This early winter storm that affected much of the Panhandle has caused additional closures and cancellations, adding to the already critical problem of continuous blood drive cancellations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Coffee Memorial is seeing a significant downturn in donations and has exhausted typical recruitment efforts.

Coffee Memorial’s life-saving stock of blood has reached a less-than-one-day supply. Typically, Coffee Memorial maintains a three- to five-day supply for local hospitals.

“COVID-19 has put tremendous strain on the blood supply for months, but this unseasonable inclement weather was the real catalyst for a blood emergency in our region,” said John Armitage, M.D., president and CEO of Coffee Memorial Blood Center. “The need for blood is constant - someone needs a life-saving transfusion every two seconds. We are calling on all healthy individuals in the High Plains region to take about an hour of their time to give blood for our friends and neighbors in need.”

Coffee Memorial encourages all healthy adults, age 16 and older, to donate blood as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment to give blood, call 806-331-8833 or visit yourbloodinstitute.org to see a list of donor centers and mobile blood drives.

All donations will be tested for COVID-19 antibodies to identify potential convalescent plasma donors.* Blood drives will be managed according to CDC safety recommendations.

Volunteer donors with Coffee Memorial Blood Center exclusively provide every drop of blood needed for patients in all major hospitals in the High Plains region. One donation saves up to three lives. Patients rely on blood to survive an emergency injury or illness, or for ongoing treatment for cancer and other life-threatening diseases and conditions.