News & Notes From

The American Red Cross

The American Red Cross in Connecticut is asking blood donors to step forward as its supply of type O negative blood has dropped to critically low levels.

Type O negative blood is usually in high demand because it can be transfused to patients with any blood type, especially in emergency situations. A shortage of type O negative blood can occur during the summer when fewer donors give due to vacations and schools schedule fewer blood drives as summer breaks approach.

Coincidentally, Masonicare of Newtown will hold a blood drive on Monday, June 28. The Red Cross’s Save-A-Life bus will be parked at 139 Toddy Hill Road from 1:30 to 6:15 pm.

Donors should be in generally good health, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be at least 17 years old. Walk-ins will be welcomed, and appointments can also be made by calling 800-733-2767 or going to RedCrossBlood.org (use sponsor code Ashlar).

Also this week, the American Red Cross has heard from a young Trumbull resident who needs a liver transplant.

Kyleigh Leos is the 15-year old daughter of Jay Leos, Trumbull police officer, Long Hill Fire Department lieutenant and former Metro North K9 division officer. Kyleigh was born with biliary atresia, which is a blockage in the tubes (ducts) that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder. Kyleigh’s disease has reached the point that a liver transplant is the only thing that will save her life. Because the liver can regenerate, a portion of a liver can be taken from a live donor for the transplant.

Candidates should be in good general health, between ages 18 and 55, blood type A or O, have a mody mass index of 28 or lower (BMI calculators can be found on the Internet), be free of any blood clotting disorder, any history of cancer and autoimmune disorders, and have no heart conditions.

For information on how to become a potential donor, call Kasha Kuris at Yale New Haven Health Services Liver Donor Services at 203-688-9426. For online information, see www.ynhh.org/transplant.