Utahns fill blood donation centers to help victims of Las Vegas shooting

MURRAY – The mass shooting in Las Vegas is convincing a lot of Utahns to help out in any way they can.  Blood donation centers were swamped with people who wanted to donate.

Inside the American Red Cross Donation Center, they were so busy they couldn’t take walk in donations.  Sue Wamsley had an appointment, which she almost cancelled, but, the Las Vegas shooting convinced her to come in.  “I’m O Negative, so they’re always calling and wanting me to come in and donate,” she says.

Donor Emily Lichthardt also has type O Negative, so she’s a universal donor.  Once she saw how many people had been killed or injured during the shooting, she was compelled to come into the center.  She says, “I was concerned because it could have been me down there.  It could have been a family member.  Just because it’s a stranger doesn’t mean they’re any different than anybody close to me.”

The Salt Lake Chapter of the American Red Cross has sent health care and mental health workers to Las Vegas.  But, Board Member Stan Rosenzweig says there will be a big need for blood, not just because of the shooting, but also disasters like hurricanes Harvey and Maria.  Rosenzweig says, “When we had that terrible hurricane in Texas, it was the ‘largest of its kind in history.’  Then, we had Maria hit Puerto Rico, and that was the, ‘largest of its kind in history.’ “