SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The idea of frequently donating blood could seem daunting.
“The needle kind of made me nervous at first but I got used to it,” said Danic Voinov, blood donor.
Voinov says he does it every two months.
“I’ve always been passionate about helping other people. It seemed like a really good thing to do," Voinov said. "Just another step in doing something for other people I guess.”
Every two months may seem like a lot, but every two seconds someone in the country needs blood, that’s according to the Red Cross.
“You feel great afterwards and you know you're doing something good for humanity so just give it a shot,” Voinov said.
Doug Morton at San Diego Blood Bank says they need around 300 donors a day to meet hospital needs this year. It’s especially difficult to meet that requirement during the summer.
“Nationally there’s usually a blood shortage," said Doug Morton, CEO of San Diego Blood Bank. "It's driven by the fact that high schools don’t run during the summer and therefore the mobile blood drives don’t run so throughout the country that’s around 50 percent of the blood supply.”
Donations are necessary for patients who have surgeries, childbirth complications, traumatic injuries, cancer treatments, and much more.
“It adds a whole other element when you think of a mom knowing her child is going to go in and get blood," Morton said. "You never want a family to worry that the blood will be there on the shelf.”
So this Blood Donor Day, employees are urging San Diegans to bring a friend, grab a shirt, and make it a habit to save lives.
If it’s your first time, employees here will be sure to comfort you and walk you through the process. Click here if you'd like to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are also welcome.
