Kathie Anderson said she’s been very fortunate through the new coronavirus pandemic.
She’s retired from the information technology department at Valparaiso University and lives alone. Two new cats and the promise of returning to abstract painting are keeping her busy.
Anderson, of Valparaiso, has been only out to go to the grocery store and doing spring cleaning at home. Tuesday, she ventured out to donate blood at an American Red Cross blood drive held at Recovery Connection in Valparaiso, which provides free services to those coming out of addiction.
She said she gave blood nine years ago and after 9/11.
“I don’t do it on a regular basis but I do like to do it when there’s a need,” she said as Karen Albaugh, a collections tech for the Red Cross who lives in Hebron, thanked her and commended her for donating.
Red Cross officials at the blood drive said hundreds of blood drives were canceled locally with the closing of schools because of COVID-19, part of global cancellations that total almost 3,000 even as the need for blood continues.
“The Red Cross had 2,900 cancellations worldwide. That made us 86,000 units of blood short, so we are trying to partner with the community, businesses and churches to see if they will give us a room or let us use our bus to hold a mobile blood drive,” said Zakiea Cleveland of Merrillville, a Red Cross team leader.
Whole blood has a shelf life of 46 days and if the Red Cross doesn’t have a constant supply of blood, she said, “we can’t keep patients alive at the hospital.”
Red Cross officials have made a push to schedule new locations for blood drives to make up for the local ones that have been canceled, Albaugh said.
“Fortunately, we are finding places that are letting us have drives,” like Recovery Connect, she said. “Unfortunately, the need for blood goes on. COVID-19 or not, I hate to see more deaths because we don’t have enough blood.”
The response, she said, has been phenomenal, and while people may be hesitant to come out, blood drives are considered an essential service under Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb’s stay-at-home order, which takes effect late Tuesday and lasts for two weeks.
“People still can come out,” Albaugh said.
Red Cross representatives wiped down blood donation stations after each donor left and the smell of disinfectant was noticeable in Recovery Connect’s lobby.
This is the first time Recovery Connect has held a blood drive, said Kristi Chervenak, the agency’s coordinator. Chervenak worked for the Red Cross many years ago and was involved in a teleconference with representatives from that agency and the United Way of Porter County about the tremendous need for donors.
The blood drive at Recovery Connect had all 30 of its appointment slots booked and was taking walk-ins as well, she said.
“We are having a great response but we are asking that people make an appointment,” Cleveland said.
Anyone interested in giving blood can go to redcross.org and type in a ZIP code for area blood drives in the next seven weeks and make an appointment online or call 800-733-2767.
Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
