LEWISTON – With the state facing a blood shortage, LifeFlight of Maine flight crews in Bangor and Lewiston are organizing four special blood drives with the hope of encouraging the public to donate during the busy holiday season.

As part of the drive, the crews have volunteered to help staff the blood drives and will raffle off some special LifeFlight of Maine gear and the chance to ride in one of the Lifeflight helicopters.

One of the Lewiston-Auburn blood drives, organized in conjunction with the American Red Cross, was held yesterday. The other will be Thursday, Dec. 18, from 6:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Central Maine Medical Center Conference Center, located on the ground floor of the 12 High St. medical office building. There will also be two blood drives by the Bangor crews, on Dec. 16 and 23. Donors should call 1-800-GIVELIF to schedule a donation.

“The supply of blood products has been extremely tight in the past few months, and we are worried about a shortage of statewide supplies during the holiday season,” said Tom Judge, executive director of LifeFlight. “Unfortunately this traditional time for gift giving is also the time when blood donation levels drop.”

Judge said a LifeFlight of Maine crew recently transported a patient from an accident on Interstate 95. The patient required a blood transfusion, and LifeFlight crews ended up providing 60 units of blood. “That one traumatic event put a strain on the state’s emergency blood supply. That’s what motivated LifeFlight crews to use their visibility as an air medical transport system to ask people to donate blood this holiday season,” said Judge.

“Getting these patients blood quickly often makes the difference between life and death,” added Dr. Larry Hopperstead, chief of Trauma Services at CMMC. “Our critical care teams carry blood on each of our helicopters and have saved many lives because of this resource.”

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