A national blood shortage emergency was declared after a severe drop in blood donations, and it's being felt locally in the Chicago area.
The Illinois American Red Cross and the nonprofit organization Vitalant said blood donations are down because of the holidays, the extreme cold and seasonal illnesses.
“We are having an emergency blood shortage after the blood supplies at the hospital sank to its lowest level in a year," said Jaelyn Parker, communications manager of Vitalant's northeast division.
“We always seem to have to push harder in January to get people to come out,” said Joy Squier, communications director for the Illinois American Red Cross.
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Blood donations are vital, they said, and a lack of donations could have devastating effects.
"This shortage could lead to patient care delays," said Parker, "and if not enough blood is donated and available, doctors may face the impossible choice of who gets blood [and] who must wait."
The donations are a gift of life for others, they said.
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“If people are feeling healthy, we ask that they come out and make an appointment to donate because every two seconds someone needs blood,” said Squier.
You can donate blood daily in Chicago at the Red Cross R Scott Falk Family Blood Donation Center, at 2200 W. Harrison. Click here for hours and directions.
“It’s not just cancer patients that need blood," said Marie Fuesel, a cancer survivor who lives in Orland Park. "It’s accident victims, burn victims, organ transplant victims, somebody that is having a surgery. You never know who is going to need blood."
NBC 5 sat down with Fuesel 10 years after she was diagnosed with leukemia in the same home she struggled to get better in.
"Each day is a gift," she said.
Fuesel said she was given a second chance through 100 units of blood and platelets donations that saved her life.
“Had it been just a few more weeks that I waited it might not have been the outcome,” said Fuesel.
Her experience is the drive she has for advocating for others.
“It feels just liberating to be able to live my life to help others and to ask others to donate blood so other people who are in my shoes have a chance to survive as well,” said Fuesel.
