The gift of life: donate blood

Northwest Florida Blood Services is asking the public for assistance in maintaining an adequate supply of O negative blood for area hospitals.

Traditionally, the supply of blood dips lower in the winter months, and Betty Roberts, district director of marketing and public relations for Northwest Florida Blood Services, is encouraging anyone with type O negative blood to donate.

“We do have an increased need for O negative, and it’s a traditional thing that happens across the whole country,” Roberts said.

“(O negative) is the universal blood type, if you need blood instantly, O negative can be used for everybody,” she said, regardless of the recipient’s blood type.

A small percentage of the population has type O negative blood, making the need for donors even greater.

Call the Northwest Florida Blood Services office in Fort Walton Beach at 862-4126 to schedule a donation.

For more on this story, see the Jan. 5 issue of Navarre Press or subscribe online.