Blood Bank of Delmarva Blood Drive

OCEAN VIEW, Del.– The American Red Cross declared a national blood crisis in July after blood donations fell to a four-year low– threatening the available blood supply.

The Blood Bank of Delmarva declared their own blood emergency in June, and they set up shop in Ocean View to encourage the local community to donate.

Branch Manager of The Blood Bank of Delmarva Ralph Groves says the community’s support means the world to them.

“That’s just how the blood bank survives,” Groves said. “I mean, we have to have the donors, They’re not getting paid. It’s just volunteer and thankfully we have a lot of people in the area that do that.”

Donating can go a long way, as one donation can save up to three lives. Operational Lead Morgan Cassidy says there are some important things to remember before giving blood.

“You definitely need to eat beforehand and give it an hour to digest,” Cassidy said. “Something that’s protein or carb heavy so that were not taking all of your nutirents away in the bag.”

Cassidy also says that there are many misconceptions when it comes to donating blood.

“There’s just a lot of misconceptions like tattoos,” Cassidy said. “You can donate as soon as three months when you get a tattoo it just depends on what state you get your tattoo in.”

But for blood donors like Melissa Castro, donating blood goes beyond the needle– it allows her to help people who face illnesses similar to her dad’s.

“I’ve been doing this for several years every 8-10 weeks,” Castro said. “My dad actually passed away eighteen years ago of a blood related cancer and he had to get weekly transfusions.”

Donating blood is also something Castro shares with her husband.

A small act for some can end up making a big difference for others and one blood drive here in Ocean View is working hard to accomplish just that.