Red Cross officials are putting out an urgent call for blood donations. Supplies of blood are down to only a days worth in many parts of the state. Jim Williams with the American Red Cross’ Missouri-Illinois Blood Services Region says the blood supply has been devastated at a time of year when it’s already tough to get people to roll up their sleeves and donate. Williams admits along with the flu keeping people from donating blood, there are restrictions on those individuals who lived in Europe because of fears of the human form of Mad Cow Disease, as well as screeningsfor other blood-borne diseases. But he says even with those restrictions, only a tiny minority of people don’t. And, Williams points out blood is a perishable resource that only has shelf of 42 days. So, the need is always there, especially at the holidays.
