Kent mayor calls for more blood donations amid shortage

KENT, Wash. — As blood banks across western Washington continue to deal with an ongoing shortage of blood, Kent’s mayor is calling for more donations.

The critical blood shortage started with the pandemic and shows no signs of letting up.

Mayor Dana Ralph — who donated blood Friday morning — is a cancer survivor, so the issue hits her in a different way.

Ralph used her platform and her donation to highlight the need to have enough blood on hand, especially during emergencies.

The recent rash of shootings across America over the weekend crystallized the need for this type of preparedness.

On May 9, Bloodworks Northwest said that it was running dangerously low on Type O positive, O negative and platelet donations.

Bloodworks Northwest said it had 1,000 appointments available and it was possible that a number of the slots were filled.

Ralph and Bloodworks Northwest said platelet donations are a major need. Bloodworks NW said it is currently rationing platelet donations to area hospitals.

There is a national shortage for that crucial blood, which is needed for cancer treatments.

Ralph is worried that the supply is low in general.

“It’s very concerning. We don’t know when the next person is going to be sick or there’s going to be some sort of tragic accident. Those are the things we can’t schedule out so we have to make sure the supply exists for when those things happen,” Ralph said.

Bloodworks NW has joined 30 other blood centers across the country to organize the Blood Emergency Readiness Corps.

It is a first-in-the-nation partnership that should ensure that the local blood supply is consistent.

It also means that people in our region could help other regions if they’re dealing with a crisis and need shipments of blood.

Bloodworks NW said the regional blood supply is hovering around a one- to two-day limit.

For perspective, Washington and Oregon states need 1,000 donors daily to maintain a safe supply.

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