Rockford area blood supply facing critical shortage

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The Rock River Valley Blood Center is in need of donations as the Stateline area faces a critical shortage of blood.

While all blood types are needed, the center said A-negative, B-negative, O-negative, and O-positive are in the shortest supply.

The Blood Center said it also has a need for the donation of platelets, which are used in emergency rooms to treat severe trauma or cancer patients.

RRVBC’s marketing and recruitment specialist, Maggie Anderson, said, “Eighty percent of us will need a blood transfusion in our lifetime. So, we have less than 2% of our population currently donating blood. And that is not sustainable. So we just really need people to come in. It’s used more often than people think. And there’s no way to manufacture it, it has to come from a voluntary donor.”

The Rock River Valley Blood Center operates four locations across the Stateline: 418 N. Longwood Street, Rockford; 3065 North Perryville Road, Rockford; 1740 South State Street, Belvidere; and 461 East South Street, Freeport.

Walk-ins are welcome, but an appointment can be scheduled by calling (815) 965-8751.