Giving blood helps the community

The Community Blood Center (CBC) will conduct a life-saving blood drive from 9 am to 3 pm, Monday, March 20 and 1 to 7 pm, Tuesday, March 21 in the gym of the First Baptist Church, 121 East Jenkins Street, Maryville.

Appointments can be made by visiting savealifenow.org/group and use group code: BL. For additional details contact Evie Church at 660.541.4257 or echurch39@gmail.com.

Bridget Kenny, Mosaic community health nurse liaison, said, “Blood products may be needed for various reasons in Maryville: trauma such as a car accident or industrial injury, loss of blood due to an ulcer or tear in the stomach or intestine; cancer or other disease processes that cause inadequate levels or abnormal blood cell composition, and heavy blood loss surgeries or childbirth. These are just a few of the top reasons.

“Our community members travel all over the country, and family, friends and other visit Northwest Missouri,” she said. “There is no way to predict when someone may need blood products while in their hometown or even across the country.

“As long as there is an adequate supply, Mosaic Maryville receives the amount of blood needed locally from CBC. We need to keep in mind that CBC also provided blood to all hospitals in Northwest Missouri.”

CBC is the primary provider of blood and blood components to 70 plus hospitals and medical centers in the Greater Kansas City region.

“Community members may need to be transferred for surgical procedures and specialties not offered in Maryville such as cardiology,” Kenny said. “All hospitals have very strict policies on blood usage and administration to help prevent overuse, shortages and harm to patients.”

One in three people will need blood at some point in their life and nearly one in seven hospital admissions require a blood transfusion.