Blood donations needed from NC to support tornado victims

The Blood Connection is asking for donations to aid people injured in the tornadoes over the weekend.

The Associated Press reported 22 were confirmed dead by late Saturday in Kentucky, including 11 in and around Bowling Green. But Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said more than 70 people may have been killed when a tornado touched down for more than 200 miles in his state. He said deaths could eventually exceed 100 across 10 or more counties, AP reported.

So far, deaths have been reported in five states, including six people in Illinois, where an Amazon facility was hit; four in Tennessee; two in Arkansas, where a nursing home was destroyed; and two in Missouri, AP reported.

The Blood Connection said it is on call this weekend and has already sent blood units to Blood Assurance in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Blood Connection serves 70 hospitals in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia as a nonprofit, community blood center.

It’s also part of the Blood Emergency Readiness Corps, which was formed in September by community blood centers across the nation. This is the third time the corps has been activated.

“The Blood Connection is currently working to deliver life-saving blood to the hospital that is treating the patients of this terrible disaster,” said Delisa English, president and CEO of The Blood Connection. “While this is our first week on call with the BERC, we are ready and able to help those of the Midwest communities thanks to the loyal TBC blood donors in our communities here at home. Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and their loved ones.”

The organization said in a news release that widespread blood shortages in recent months created “a severely strained national safety net for mass traumas and other high casualty disasters.” Donors can make an appointment by going to thebloodconnection.org/donate or by calling 864-255-5000.

This story was originally published December 12, 2021 at 10:04 AM with the headline "Blood donations needed from NC to support tornado victims."