LifeStream Blood Bank, which has donor centers in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, announced Friday that it sent 60 pints of blood products to the Blood Bank of Hawaii to aid victims of Maui wildfires.
“Hawaiian hospitals in Maui and Oahu are seriously impacted by burn victims,” LifeStream CEO and medical director Dr. Rick Axelrod said in a statement. “We could not ignore the call for help from our friends at the Blood Bank of Hawaii. While most of the blood products we collect stay here at home, we saw the critical need that Hawaii is facing and knew we needed to do something to help.”
Axelrod additionally encouraged eligible blood donors to help replenish LifeStream’s blood inventory and to possibly help again if needed by donating. More information about eligibility requirements to donate blood can be found at lstream.org/about-donating/who-can-donate/.
LifeStream officials said that blood donors help save lives at home and abroad and that they’re essential to maintaining a strong blood supply.
“These wildfires highlight the importance of having blood at the ready,” Axelrod said. “We want to be able to help again if needed, but we will need to rebuild an adequate supply to do it.”
LifeStream has donor centers in San Bernardino, Riverside, Ontario, Victorville, Murrieta, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage and Hemet while also conducting mobile blood drives throughout its service area, according to LifeStream officials, who emphasize that donors should feel healthy and present a current photo ID.
More information about the center’s donation centers and appointment scheduling can be found at lstream.org.