West Virginia (CNN)- The American Red Cross says more than 10,000 blood and platelet donations have gone uncollected in the first two weeks of the year due to wildfires and severe winter weather.
It’s rare for the organization to see wildfires affect its blood mission since they tend to be more prevalent in rural areas.
However, the Red Cross says as wildfires have continued to burn and affect air quality in densely populated areas, the number of blood drive cancellations has grown.
They say despite the challenges, they’ve seen thousands of people give blood, donate money, and contribute time, not only in Los Angeles but across the country.
The Red Cross is urgently seeking donors of all types, particularly type O negative blood donors and those giving platelets.
