UCHealth Urging Coloradans to Become Regular Blood Donors

On World Blood Donor Day (June 14), UCHealth and The Human Bean hosted a mobile blood drive in the hopes of securing much-needed donations for the summer.

"There's a really big need [for blood] right now in the summertime," Bridget Aesoph, Blood Donor Recruiter at the UCHealth Garth Englund Blood Centers, told Townsquare NoCo. "From a recruitment standpoint, blood donations are really needed and they help save a life."

Now, the agency is asking Coloradans to become regular donors to make up for the lack of summertime donations — something that the pandemic has worsened.

According to a press release from UCHealth, Garth Englund Blood Centers have seen a 3% drop in red blood cell donations, despite an increased demand. Unfortunately, officials do not believe this discrepancy will improve any time soon.

"Donating once would be great, but we are really hoping that more people will donate every eight weeks for several months to keep blood on the shelf," Aesoph said in the release. "We are going to need a continuous supply coming in to get through this."

The agency is accepting donations of any blood type; however, they are particularly in need of O blood types and platelet donations.

To donate or to learn more, call (970) 495-8965 or email donateblood@uchealth.org.