Roseville Fire Chief Keith Jacobs donates blood March 28, 2025, during a blood drive at the Recreation Authority of Roseville and Eastpointe. Earlier this month, the American Red Cross announced there is a blood shortage as donations are down 35% nationwide.
By: Maria Allard | C&G Newspapers | Published January 23, 2026
METRO DETROIT — There is an urgent need for blood donations.
On Jan. 20, the American Red Cross held a virtual news briefing via Zoom to announce blood supplies are down 35% nationally, which is about 40,000 units.
The distribution of blood products to hospitals has exceeded the blood supply, and Red Cross representatives are working closely with its hospital partners to meet their needs. The medical team members who spoke during the briefing also encouraged the public to consider donating blood. One unit of blood can help up to three people.
“The Red Cross is doing everything we can do to minimize any impact on hospital patients. As a national network, the Red Cross has a unique responsibility to meet the demands for blood,” said Kelly King, regional CEO of the American Red Cross Michigan Region. “There’s an expectation that if you show up at the hospital and there’s an emergency and you need life-saving blood, it’s going to be available.”
Blood transfusions are given to patients for a wide range of reasons, including serious injuries, burns, automobile crashes, surgeries, childbirth, anemia, blood disorders, cancer treatments and heart issues. Plasma transfusions are used for patients with liver failure, severe infections and serious burns.
“The only way that we’re able to prevent blood shortages, like the one we are facing now, is for members who are eligible across communities to roll up their sleeves and go to a blood drive and give that life-saving blood,” King said. “Giving blood is a truly selfless act. You walk away feeling a real sense of accomplishment knowing that you helped to save a life. Every donation can be a lifeline for a patient who isn’t able to hold off on critical care.”
The procedure to donate blood takes 45 minutes to one hour. During the process, donors are given a mini physical and provide a health history to Red Cross staff. The actual blood donation only takes eight to 10 minutes.
King said that people not eligible to donate blood can still help by organizing a blood drive within their own community and encouraging eligible individuals to donate. Donated blood has a shelf life of 42 days.
Scot Dinsmor, a blood account manager for the American Red Cross Michigan Region, said there are two key factors that caused the blood shortage.
“The first is extreme weather, which forced the cancellation of about 400 Red Cross blood drives nationally, 12 here in the state of Michigan. As a result, thousands of blood donations went uncollected,” he said. “The second is the worst flu season in nearly 20 years. It might be sidelining our donors and slowing our efforts to rebuild the national blood supply.
“Disruptions in the nation’s blood supply make it difficult to overcome any existing shortfall in donations. More donations are needed now to prevent those delays in medical care,” Dinsmor said. “While all blood types are needed, the shortage is especially serious for types O, A-negative and B-negative. The need for blood is constant. In most states, those 17 years or older can give blood. In Michigan, 16-year-olds can give with parental consent.”
During the virtual news briefing, Howell resident Jennifer Douglas shared her story of receiving life-saving blood during two medical emergencies she endured. She received her first blood transfusion in the summer of 2011.
“I was a mom to two little girls, and I was 20 weeks pregnant with our baby boy,” said Douglas, whose husband is Andy.
She suffered a ruptured aneurysm and was rushed into emergency surgery.
“I lost a massive amount of blood. Because strangers had already donated, I was able to receive 13 units of blood,” she said. “People who never knew me, they saved me. That blood saved my life. It also saved the life of my unborn son.”
Seven weeks later while still recovering, she experienced another medical emergency related to her pregnancy and again underwent surgery.
“During that surgery, I received 25 units of blood and 31 units of plasma and platelets,” she said. “My family lives every day with overwhelming gratitude for blood donors. To us, you’re heroes.”
Douglas said her mother was a lifelong blood donor with the American Red Cross and taught her to pay it forward.
“So, the summer after I survived, I hosted my first blood drive,” Douglas said. “Now I host two every year with a dear friend who has her own story. My kids and my husband volunteer at every drive. At our most recent drive we collected 30 units of blood, and that means up to 90 lives potentially touched.”
Jensyn Sullivan, M.D., a transfusion medicine and blood bank physician with Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan’s academic medical center and Lance Wells, M.D., an emergency medicine physician at Hillsdale Hospital, also spoke at the news hearing.
To make a blood donation appointment, use the Red Cross blood donor phone app, visit RedCrossBlood.org, or call (800) RED CROSS, which is (800) 733-2767. The website has a list of upcoming blood drives in the tri-county area. All who donate blood between Jan. 26 and Feb. 28 will receive a $20 e-gift card to a merchant of their choice.