Red Cross seeking ‘Missing Types’ in blood drives

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As part of an international movement, the American Red Cross is temporarily eliminating the letters A, B and O (which also signify the main blood groups) from brands, social media pages, signs and websites to show how devastating it can be when major blood types disappear from hospital shelves.

The Missing Types campaign started Monday and runs until July 3. Red Cross officials said the goal is to encourage new donations.

“Unfortunately, blood shortages still happen and the number of new Red Cross blood donors is shrinking each year,” said Cliff Numark, senior vice president, Red Cross Blood Services, in a news release. “That’s why the Red Cross is asking those who have never donated blood and those who haven’t given in a while to make a lifesaving donation. You are the missing type patients need.”

As the questions at the top of this story prove, the letters A, B and O make a big difference in our language — just as the absence of the blood types could make a huge difference to someone in a life or death situation, officials said.

According to the Red Cross, blood and platelets are needed every day for accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those who are receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease. The Red Cross must collect more than 13,000 blood donations daily for patients at roughly 2,600 hospitals across the country.

For the past four years, new Red Cross donors have declined by about 80,000 annually, which is not just a Red Cross trend but a challenge organizations face around the world.

To make an appointment to give blood, visit RedCrossBlood.org/MissingTypes, use the Red Cross Blood Donor App or call 800-733-2767.

Harry Lynch / TNS The Red Cross is launching its Missing Types campaign, which eliminates the letters A, B and O (also the three main blood types) from its branding to show how devastating it can be when blood types go missing from the blood supply.