DECATUR, Ga. — The medical community is urging people to donate blood as the nation’s blood supply remains critically low.

According to the Red Cross, we are facing the worst blood shortage in over a decade.

Community blood suppliers, such as Life South, are among many around the country nearly out of supply. Decatur first responders are partnering with Life South and hosting two emergency blood drives this month.

“We are in dire need of blood every single day,” Melissa Brittain, donor service manager at Life South, said.

This adds to the long list of fallouts related to the pandemic. When everything shut down in March 2020, so did most blood drives.

“I have children, and I wouldn’t want that to be a life or death situation for them… so just trying to do my part,” Kent Baker, a blood donor, said.

There is a desperate need for donations and communities and organizations to host blood drives.

Officials say all of the blood collected this weekend will likely be on the shelves at local hospitals in just a matter of days. This supply could potentially save the lives of 45 children at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

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