HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The Red Cross said there is a severe blood shortage impacting hospitals and patients across the country.
January is National Blood Donor Month. The nonprofit is encouraging people to participate because they are seeing a historically low number of donations.
While the need for donors is critical, ABC Action News managed to find someone who donates regularly.
Gregory Hill donates every two weeks, and he’s been doing that for decades. Thursday, he donated his 150th gallon of blood in St. Petersburg.
"Every time I go in to do this, someone else has a better chance of coming out of the hospital," Hill said.
Saving lives one donation at a time—that's what Hill thinks about every time he sits in this chair to donate blood. He's been donating for 45 years.
“It means I’m doing my part. When I was young, I didn't have any money to help people out, but I could always give blood and help that way,” Hill said.
While Hill has been donating for decades, he shared a personal story that reminded him why donating blood is so crucial.
“A friend of mine had to get two full body donations after a heart attack. She needed like 14 units of blood,” Hill said.
ABC Action News also spoke to Susan Forbes from One Blood. She said January is one of the most difficult months for blood donations.
“Many schools are still out. Colleges are still out," Forbes said. "That starts to impact the donor base, which then impacts the blood supply.”
Forbes said they are most in need of O blood types.
