Oklahomans On The Front Lines of Michigan School Shooting Through Blood Donations

Oklahomans were on the front lines to help victims of the Michigan school shooting with blood donations.

OBI created the Blood Emergency Readiness Corp, or BERC program to be able to send donations wherever they are needed.

OBI's President and CEO, John Armitage M.D. said within about an hour of the school shooting the blood donations left Oklahoma and headed straight to a blood center in Michigan.

"We're helping that blood center step into that moment of making sure that they've got no doubts that blood is on the shelf," Armitage said. "Most of us feel terrible, these shootings, these disasters, your heart goes out. In this case, your blood can go out actually."

OBI created BERC in September. It began with less than 10 centers in BERC. Now, there are 20 centers nationwide involved.

"That's about 40%, just under half of all the blood centers in the nation are participating," said Armitage.

This is the second time Oklahoma has been on call to send emergency donations to a mass casualty situation. 

"It's kind of the Oklahoma standard being delivered around the country," Armitage said. "Blood supplies are low, shootings can happen anywhere, natural disasters can happen anywhere. People need their friends and neighbors to help. Even if those friends and neighbors are half a continent away."

Click here to donate with the Oklahoma Blood Institute.