Blood Drive Continues At Palm Desert’s Xavier College Prep HS Friday

by Publisher CoachellaValley | October 22, 2020 10:14 pm

Officials with LifeStream, which is hosting the events, said the nonprofit continues to face a dire shortage of blood.

LifeStream is low on all blood types, but especially Group O blood — which has the highest demand.

PALM DESERT, CA — The 2nd mobile blood drive at Xavier College Preparatory High School in Palm Desert in two days will continue Friday, where donors are being screened for COVID-19 antibodies.

LifeStream Blood Bank, which says it is facing a “critical” shortage of donated blood, is set up at the school located at 34200 Cook St. from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Prospective donors who can not make it out to Palm Desert can give blood at Nitrofusions, 78010 Main St., Suite 108 in La Quinta, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday.

The nonprofit continues to face a dire shortage of blood, a shortage that LifeStream officials say puts cancer and surgical patients — along with accident victims and newborn babies — at risk of having crucial procedures canceled.

“The situation is critical,” LifeStream CEO and President Dr. Rick Axelrod said.

“Surgeons can only do so much without an ample blood supply. On behalf of patients they assist, I implore the community to come forward and help.”
LifeStream is low on all blood types, but especially Group O blood — which has the highest demand. It continues to struggle to fill its blood drive calendar, which is currently booked at 50 percent of normal levels.

According to Axelrod, the nonprofit typically receives 25 percent of its annual donations via high school and college campus blood drives, all of which have been canceled through the end of the year due to COVID-19. The canceled drives, which were

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