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FAYETTEVILLE, NC – Jan. 22, 2024 – Cape Fear Valley Blood Donor Center is experiencing critically low supplies of Type O- blood. Local donors are encouraged to attend one of several urgent blood drives being held in the next few days.

“As fast as the donor center is collecting blood, our hospitals are using it for transfusions,” said Cape Fear Valley Blood Donor Center Manager Amy Fisher. “Not only is there a local shortage, there’s a national shortage, which means we can’t even buy blood from another state.”

All Cape Fear Valley Health hospitals in Cumberland, Bladen, Harnett and Hoke counties are affected, as the Blood Donor Center supplies blood products for all of them. As of Monday afternoon, there were only 8 units of type O-for the entire health system. One person has about 12 units of blood in their body.

Type O- is the universal blood type that can be transfused to any patient. Type O- is necessary to have on hand for trauma patients where there is no time to type their blood, and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) babies whose own blood supply is so low they can’t afford to lose any blood to have it typed.

“We urge healthy volunteers with type O- and O+ blood to please give to help our patients in this special way,” Fisher said. “If you don’t know your blood type, no problem. All blood types are still needed, we’re just at critical levels of type O. If you can’t donate, please advocate for our blood bank and our patients by sharing our critical need of volunteer donors.”

The Cape Fear Valley Blood Donor Center is also hoping to entice donors by giving them two movie tickets when they come out to donate blood. Businesses or organizations who would like to host a mobile blood drive should contact Kristyn Keefe at (910) 615-3306.

The Blood Donor Center, at 3357 Village Drive, Fayetteville, in the Bordeaux Shopping Center, is open for donations Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the third Saturday of each month, from 8 a.m. to Noon.

For more information, please contact the Blood Donor Center at 615-LIFE (5433). More mobile blood donation opportunities can be found online at www.savingliveslocally.org.

Upcoming Mobile Blood Drives

Tuesday, Jan. 23:

Outside of Cape Fear Valley Center for Medical Education and Neuroscience Institute, 10 a.m. to Noon
Crown at Steeplechase, 4240 High Stakes Circle, Parkton, 3 to 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 24:

Central Baptist Church, 6050 Plain View Highway, Dunn, 3 to 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 25:

Fayetteville Technical Community College, Fayetteville campus, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 29:

Fayetteville Technical Community College, Spring Lake Campus, 9 to 11 a.m.

Monday, Jan. 29:

Wellness Care NC at Manna Church, 117 Cliffdale Road, Fayetteville, 2 to 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 30:

Beaver Dam Volunteer Fire Department, 11042 N.C. Highway 210 South, Roseboro, 2:30 to 7 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 1:

Fayetteville Heart Center, 2301 Robeson St., Ste. 301, Fayetteville, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Media contact for Cape Fear Valley: Chaka Jordan, 910-615-6098 or cgjordan@capefearvalley.com.

About Cape Fear Valley Health System

Cape Fear Valley is a 1,000+ bed, 8-hospital regional health system, with more than 1 million inpatient and outpatient visits annually. A private not-for-profit organization with 7,400 employees and 1,300 providers on our medical staff, it includes Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Highsmith-Rainey Specialty Hospital, Cape Fear Valley Rehabilitation Center, Behavioral Health Care, Bladen County Hospital, Hoke Hospital, Health Pavilion North, Health Pavilion Hoke and Harnett Health. For more information, visit www.CapeFearValley.com.