Winter weather impacting blood supply in Illinois. Here's how you can donate
The American Red Cross has declared a severe shortage after the blood supply dropped 35% in the past month.
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The American Red Cross has declared a severe shortage after the blood supply dropped 35% in the past month.
The organization is dealing with a severe blood shortage as hospitals need more than what is available. Joining Dana Kozlov and Marissa Perlman is Kellie O’Connell, regional chief executive officer of the Illinois Red Cross office.
Thursday is also World Sickle Cell Awareness Day, to bring attention to a disease often treated with blood transfusions.
As Bradley Blackburn explains, Saturday is World Blood Donor Day, but the summer months are usually difficult for the nation's blood supply, with a dip in donations.
People with the disease often get sudden, debilitating bouts of pain.
In the Chicago area, the American Red Cross collects about 1,000 units of blood per day. It sounds like a lot, but the need for blood donations is huge and constant.
Last year, the Food and Drug Administration lifted rules put in place in the 80s during the AIDS/HIV crisis.
After devastating storms in parts of the South and the Midwest, Trevor Riggen, president of humanitarian services with the American Red Cross, discusses how the organization is preparing volunteers ahead of hurricane season.
The American Red Cross issued an alert saying they are experiencing an emergency blood shortage as the nation faces the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years. Visit
Blood donors are needed now more than ever as the Red Cross is facing an emergency shortage.
"It will bring tears to my eyes seeing everyone in here because just knowing that without them, I wouldn't be here today."
"I wouldn't have lived a month had I not gotten started getting blood."
The drive runs from 3:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
The American Red Cross says donations have been way down since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They currently need more than 13,000 donations a day just to keep up with demand.
"We're hoping they're going to come back and hopefully when they hear about the mixed reality, they're going to want to come in and try it."
Twenty-two Attorneys General, including Illinois' Kwame Raoul, are calling for an end to the FDA's blood donation policy they say stigmatizes the LGBTQ+ community.
The Chicago Auto Show will get underway today but this year you can drive to save lives.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson remembered the Rev. Jesse Jackson Wednesday as an indefatigable organizer and fighter for justice and a mentor to him personally.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was set to deliver his State of the State address Wednesday morning.
Chicago police on Wednesday morning were investigating a shooting that left a man dead in the Bronzeville neighborhood.
A large fire in an apartment building in the west Chicago suburb of Oak Park was under investigation Wednesday morning.
The family of civil rights icon the Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke publicly on Wednesday morning, just one day after he died peacefully surrounded by loved ones.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson remembered the Rev. Jesse Jackson Wednesday as an indefatigable organizer and fighter for justice and a mentor to him personally.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was set to deliver his State of the State address Wednesday morning.
Rahm Emanuel, former mayor of Chicago and White House Chief of Staff for Barack Obama spoke to members of Detroit's Economic Club on Tuesday at the Masonic Temple.
U.S. Capitol Police that the individual was in custody and that there did not appear to be other suspects or an ongoing threat.
Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security's top spokeswoman, is leaving her post next week.
This is after Mayor Brandon Johnson vetoed an ordinance that would have banned most hemp-derived products this weekend.
This week marks Identity Theft Awareness Week, and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza emphasized some safety tips Monday for avoiding and dealing with identity theft.
A controversial data center in Naperville, Illinois, could be the cause to pack a city council meeting there on Tuesday night.
Police in the west Chicago suburb of Geneva are warning of a scam involving spoofed phone numbers.
Protesters on Tuesday were cranking up the heat on Peoples Gas over a recently proposed rate hike that would add an additional $10 to $11 a month to utility bills.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital announced this week that it is planning to open a new pediatric hospital in the west Chicago suburb of Downers Grove.
It has been nearly six years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the many questions doctors are still working to answer concerns the long-term effects.
Leaders from Cook County, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository denounced changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Wednesday.
The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center has received a grant from The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation for a new cancer center.
Chicago's Lurie Children's Hospital said Tuesday that it is no longer initiating gender-affirming medical treatment for minors.
Lizard's Liquid Lounge announced recently that it will be closing for good in April after 18 years on Chicago's Northwest Side.
BP refinery workers in Northwest Indiana hit the picket line this past weekend as they escalate their fight for a contract.
Funkytown has now received a $3.7 million grant from the City of Chicago. The money will be used to create a new brewery and tap room on the Near West Side.
With his name now hanging in the rafters, former Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose is helping the United Center with its major redevelopment.
A potential bidding war is taking shape for the Daily Herald, the newspaper of record for suburban Chicago.
Anderson Cooper will report multiple stories for "60 Minutes" before the end of the television season in May.
Warner Bros. Discovery said that Paramount Skydance is considering enhancing its buyout offer for the entertainment company.
Robert Duvall was in such classics as "The Godfather," "To Kill a Mockingbird," "M*A*S*H," "The Great Santini" and "Tender Mercies."
"Dawson's Creek" and "Varsity Blues" star James Van Der Beek has died at 48 years old.
The 31-year-old Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny took the stage on Sunday dressed in all white, donning a jersey with his last name, Ocasio, and the number 64.
The Chicago City Council is set to vote on a major settlements payout and funding for a rat control program Wednesday.
Rev. Jesse Jackson’s adult children gathered at their family home to reflect on his life and legacy Wednesday morning. Darius Johnson reports.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was set to deliver his State of the State address Wednesday morning.
Police found the man with multiple gunshot wounds near 37th Street and Langley Avenue.
A large fire in an apartment building in the west Chicago suburb of Oak Park was under investigation Wednesday morning.
A large fire in an apartment building in the west Chicago suburb of Oak Park was under investigation Wednesday morning.
The family of civil rights icon the Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke publicly on Wednesday morning, just one day after he died peacefully surrounded by loved ones.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was set to deliver his State of the State address Wednesday morning.
Rev. Jesse Jackson is being remembered as a tireless advocate for equality, a civil rights leader, and a man with an unwavering belief in justice. Something Jesse Jackson Jr. says he
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson remembered the Rev. Jesse Jackson Wednesday as an indefatigable organizer and fighter for justice and a mentor to him personally.
Chef Art Smith said the carjacking and fatal shooting of his employee, Darwin Tirado, 22, was devastating not only to his family but also to the larger community.
A state lawmaker is joining the growing call for accountability from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services about past abuse allegations before an 8-year-old boy's murder.
Chicago's rodent problem is well known, but a new pilot program testing rat birth control to curb the population in problem areas is underway to help rein it in.
From Kat Abughazaleh to Jason Friedman, some surprising names lead in fundraising in Illinois' primary elections.
The move means the United States Environmental Protection Agency will no longer regulate greenhouse gases emitted from sources like cars, trucks and power plants.
Clark's decision took place during an investigation by the U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn, New York, into OneTeam Partners, a licensing company founded by the union, the NFL Players Association and RedBird Capital Partners in 2019.
While the rebuilding White Sox remain committed to developing their young talent, Venable wants to win now and wants to start from zero, starting with this camp.
With Alex Bregman now a member of the Cubs, Matt Shaw is making the transition from playing almost exclusively at third base to being a utility guy who will play in the outfield as well.
Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts and manager Craig Counsell delivered a message to the Cubs team before their first full-squad workout.
Newly acquired Luisangel Acuna was among the White Sox players getting on the field for the first time.
Chicago police on Wednesday morning were investigating a shooting that left a man dead in the Bronzeville neighborhood.
The DNA profile was recovered from gloves found during the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie in Arizona.
A device that can pick up certain electronic signals is being used in the search for Nancy Guthrie, as it may detect emissions from her pacemaker, sources told CBS News.
A 14-year-old girl was shot Sunday morning in a home unincorporated Oswego Township, and a male victim was later found shot dead in the same home.
A woman was hospitalized Monday after being shot in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood.
