At the first of two blood drives in May in recognition of Mother’s Day, Cook County Health joined Vitalant, its partner blood center, to encourage blood donations this month as part of Donate For Mothers.  

Pregnancy-related complications require blood transfusions for 1 in every 83 deliveries in the U.S. Cook County Health and Vitalant are joining forces to raise awareness and encourage area residents to help save lives – mothers, babies, and many others – by donating this month. 

Donate for Mothers is Vitalant’s special initiative to inspire people to donate blood in honor of the moms who inspire us. Celebrate a mother’s journey, advocate for maternal health, or simply spread joy and healing through your gift of life. 

Cook County Health will hold its next blood drive on Wednesday, May 20 from 9 am to 1 pm at the Stroger Hospital Cafeteria. Visit vitalant.org or call 877-258-4825 to find a blood drive. 

At a press conference Monday held in conjunction with the first blood drive this month, Cook County Health leaders spoke about the importance of blood donations as well as the health system’s history as the site of the world’s first blood bank. 

In 1937, Dr. Bernard Fantus opened the blood bank at Cook County Hospital after finding a way to preserve blood storage. Dr. Fantus’s work made it possible to get patients the blood they needed quicker and would make modern, lifesaving surgery possible. 

“Cook County Health has a proud legacy of medical innovation driven by our commitment to patients,” said Donnica Austin-Cathey, Stroger Hospital Chief Hospital Executive. “From groundbreaking advances like the first comprehensive trauma center to the creation of the modern blood bank, we continue to lead so that every person we serve has access to lifesaving care when it matters most.” 

Dr. Ashlesha Patel, associate chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Cook County Health, spoke about the importance that blood donations have for patients experiencing pregnancy-related complications. 

“Globally, bleeding after birth is the leading preventable cause of maternal deaths, and many U.S. moms are saved by blood transfusion,” Dr. Patel said. “A blood transfusion thanks to a stranger’s donation is a gift that gives moms the ability to be moms.” 

Blood donations save lives in emergencies, surgeries, cancer treatments, and through the management of some chronic illnesses. 

Every day, Vitalant needs to collect more than 4,500 blood, platelet and plasma donations, delivering lifesaving blood products to patients in hospitals coast-to-coast. For more information, visit vitalant.org. 

“Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood,” said Ann Sterling, Communications Manager at Vitalant. “Generous volunteer donors are constantly vital to ensuring that blood is always ready.”