The American Red Cross says there is a summer blood shortage and they’re asking for donors to come forward.
“That need for blood is constant. You can’t just stock it up on the shelves and leave it there. It needs to be replenished constantly,” Red Cross spokesperson Stefanie Arcangelo said.
The summer months are typically slow for blood donations, in part because many donors are on vacation and students who host blood drives aren’t in school.
Typically, Connecticut needs about 300 units of blood each day to benefit families like the Ciriellos.
Two of their children have a rare blood disorder that requires transfusions every three weeks.
“It’s not something we can give to them. It’s not something that they can get any other way other than the generosity of strangers donating blood to help people like them stay healthy and stay alive,” Plainville resident Daniel Ciriello explained.
Their children are thriving, especially 6-year-old Daniela who loves to show off her gymnastics skills, despite her conditions.
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“I could not imagine if we were there to get her blood if we were there to get her blood that she needs to live and they said hey, we’re out. Or we don’t have any. What would we do?,” Daniel said.
Even in the summer, there’s somewhere in the state where you can donate blood every day. For more information, click here.
