A blood shortage is plaguing the nation, and is leaving the supply of blood for hospitals at a critical point.

“Currently, we are in need of all eight blood types,” said Ann McKanna, vice president of marketing for the Heartland Blood Centers in Aurora. “We are down to a two day supply for the 34 hospitals, compared to the usual six to 10 day range.”

On Tuesday, an immediate call was issued for blood donations by the American Association of Blood Banks and the America’s Blood Centers.

“It means we are asking people to come in right away in the next two days,” McKanna said. “We scheduled eight emergency blood drives, and we usually run six to seven blood drives in the 13 counties.”

Darlene Butler, team leader for the Heartland Blood Centers, has noticed a decrease in donations at the blood drives.

“We usually need 400 units per day to supply hospitals,” Butler said. “At all of our drives, we are not making projections.”

Butler and her team were at NIU last Wednesday for a blood drive at the Holmes Student Center.

“It is like this the whole month of January,” said Sharon Heiy, team leader for the Heartland Blood Centers. “This January is lower compared to the past. I don’t remember it being that low.”

January, also known as the National Volunteer Blood Donor month, has always been a month where blood is in short supply because people usually don’t donate blood during the holidays, McKanna said.

In addition, January is the month with the highest transfusion rate because people tend to wait until after the holidays for surgeries.

“Another reason is that after Sept. 11 people are not coming out to donate because people believe the need is not there,” McKanna said.

To ease the blood shortage situation, a blood drive has been scheduled from 2:30 to 7 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday at the Southeast Meeting Room at Neptune Central.

“Neptune generally always has a blood drive once a semester,” said Tony Brown, hall director of Neptune West. “In light of the current blood shortage, I feel that it is something important to do as a staff.”

The goal for the blood drive is to have at least 60 donors, however, Brown hopes to see 100 people come out and donate blood.

Eric Musselman, community adviser of Neptune and coordinator of the blood drive, plans to contribute to the drive.

“It will set a good example to donate blood myself,” Musselman said.

Musselman encourages the NIU community to make a donation and help save the lives of others.

“If someone told me they are scared, I would tell them there is nothing to be afraid of,” he said. “The needle feels like a small pinch, there is no danger to your health and if you like, you can always get a friend to go with you.”

To be a blood donor, one must be at least 17 years old, healthy, weigh at least 110 pounds, be symptom free of cold or flu viruses and haven’t had a tattoo or piercing with the last year.