˚Why must it take a crisis to attract attention?

˚Why must it take a crisisto attract attention?
It can be the gift of life. Without it, it can be the cause of death.
Ask anyone whose life or whose loved one's life was saved by a blood transfusion, and you'll understand how the simple task of donating blood can impact another's life.
Despite the fact that the selfless act of donating blood costs nothing more than a small amount of the donor's time, the American Red Cross once again must plead for donations to satisfy what has become a critical shortage of blood.
Local lows
Not only is there a severe shortage of fresh frozen plasma affecting Columbiana, Mahoning, Trumbull and the other 16 counties in the American Red Cross Northern Ohio Blood Services Region, but the region is unable to obtain blood from other regions because blood supplies are low nationally and regions are unable to share.
How critical is the shortage? At last report, the region had less than one-tenth of the minimum supply of 500 units of frozen plasma.
As a result of the shortage, area hospitals have received a "transfuse only" directive, something that usually happens when levels of O negative blood, the universal blood type, are low. The current "transfuse only" directive is for blood types O, A and B negative and prevents hospitals from stockpiling their blood supplies. Instead, they can order blood only to meet specific needs.
Need still exists
Concerned citizens flooded blood banks and donation sites nationwide following the events of 9/11 -- helping the Red Cross to meet unfathomable needs. Where are they all now? Perhaps a hemorrhaging surgical patient or an accident victim with profuse bleeding from head trauma will not gain national attention, but the fact is, their lives are every bit as at risk due to a blood shortage as they would be during an act of terrorism.
Surely there are more than enough area residents over the age of 17, weighing at least 110 pounds and in good health -- the Red Cross requirements to be eligible for blood donation -- to erase the current Red Cross shortage in the Valley and eliminate future ones.
As we approach the summer months -- when Red Cross donations dip and needs rise -- what reason can anyone meeting the Red Cross requirements possibly have for not taking the few minutes that can offer benefits that will last a lifetime?
For information on blood drives, call (800) 448-3543 or visit www.redcross.org.