Emergency Blood Drive Call for Donations

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – (March 18, 2020) Emergency Blood Drives, coordinated by Forrest General Hospital and Vitalant, will be held at the following locations:

·         Forrest General Hospital, Friday, March 20, and Saturday, March 21, 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., Adeline parking lot adjacent to the hospital’s parking garage and water tower

·         The Orthopedic Institute, Monday, March 23, 7 a.m. until 12 p.m., 27 Southern Pointe Parkway

·         Pine Grove Behavioral Health & Addiction Services, Monday, March 23, 1 p.m. until 5 p.m., 2255 Broadway Drive

Forrest General is in critical need of blood and donating is one of the easiest ways to give back to your community. Although we understand the need for social distancing, this has created a shortage in blood supplies due to fewer donations.

While there is a pressing need for Type O-specific blood, all types are needed. If you gave at the last Forrest General blood drive on December 10 and 11, 2019, you can still give one unit. You will not be able to give double units.

The public is urged to get out and help the community by donating blood. Tents will be set up with volunteers. If there is a wait, volunteers will take donors’ cell phone numbers and text them when it is their turn, this way donors can wait in their vehicles until they receive a text.

Each year, nearly 5 million Americans need blood transfusions. Blood helps trauma and burn patients, premature infants, heart surgery patients, organ transplant recipients and those fighting cancer, among others. In emergencies, it’s the blood already on hospital shelves that saves lives.

Typically, it takes about an hour - from the time you arrive to the time you leave - to complete a whole blood donation. The actual donation time is only about 10 minutes.

Before you roll up your sleeve to help someone else, please take care of yourself:

• Eat a healthy, low-fat meal within two hours ahead of your donation. The day before, eat a salty snack. When you donate blood, you lose about a gram of salt. Replacing it ahead of time helps keep your blood pressure normal.
• Hydrate by drinking 8 to 16 ounces of non-alcoholic beverages one hour before you donate. Water and sports drinks are great choices.

Your simple, lifesaving action today has the remarkable power to transform lives for many tomorrows.

For more information, contact Vitalant at (877) 827-4376. Their offices are located at 805 S. 28^th Ave., Hattiesburg.

Contact:

Beth Bunch

Media Coordinator

Marketing and Communications Department

(601) 288-1303

beth.bunch@forrestgeneral.com