Local blood center sends units to Michigan following school shooting

Local blood centers are helping replenish the blood supply in Michigan following a school shooting in Oxford, Mich., this week that killed four and injured seven.

ImpactLife, formerly known as the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, sent 15 units of O-type red blood cells to hospitals in Oxford and the surrounding region north of Detroit on Wednesday.

A 15-year-old student at Oxford High School has been charged with first-degree murder and terrorism in connection with the shootings.

ImpactLife officials said the request for blood came through the Blood Centers of America, which coordinates blood donations after “mass transfusion incidents.”

“Hospitals need to replace units of blood that were used in the initial emergency response,” Mike Rasso, ImpactLife director of sales, said in a statement.

Type O blood cells are most often used following emergency responses, since it is compatible with all other blood groups.

ImpactLife provides blood services to 126 hospitals in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri.

Officials emphasized regional blood centers makes sure they “prioritize local needs” when responding to an emergency request.

“Any amount we ship outside our region can’t put local hospitals at risk of not having a sufficient supply for patient needs at their facility,” ImpactLife spokesman Kirby Winn said.

ImpactLife is seeking donors to “ensure the ongoing availability” of blood.

“It’s a good reminder that we always need to maintain a strong and stable blood supply because we just don’t know when there may be a sudden increase in demand for blood,” Winn said.

Anyone interested in donating blood can schedule an appointment by calling (800) 747-5401 or visiting the website at bloodcenter.org.

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