 While winter weather poses many challenges, few are as urgent as the need for blood donation. Due to inclement weather, Kentucky Blood Center has seen a sharp decline in donations leading to a critical need for several blood types. You know we started off 2024 in kind of a normal position where you know we were we were struggling a bit after the holidays and then sure enough as we all know across Kentucky it has not been a very friendly winter week that has had a huge impact on us here at Kentucky Blood Center you know we have had to cancel 14 drives this week alone and estimated more than 450 donations have had to be canceled because of that and that's that's a that's a huge huge dense in our weekly collections and so we need donors to step up to the plates as we head in next week. Appalachian wireless just can't stop themselves. Give the iPhone 13 128 gig for a penny with a two-year contract on the mix and match or unlimited plan new or renewed line while supplies last one penny for an iPhone 13 we are you we are Appalachian wireless. Donating blood only takes around 45 minutes saves up to three lives and those donating next week will receive a free t-shirt and be entered into a drawing for University of Kentucky basketball tickets. So one in four people will need a blood transfusion or lifetime for everything from routine surgeries and organ transplants to when a lot of people think of traumas and car accidents and often eat up a big part of the blood supply but also for for things like cancer treatments 25% of our blood supply goes towards patients that are that are fighting cancer premature births diseases like sickle cell I can go on and on because there's just so many things where blood is used it's a vital life-saving product in the healthcare system so you know when I say one and four people need blood I think people are always it kind of that surprises them but the fact of the matter is that yeah that you know if it doesn't touch you personally in your lifetime I can almost guarantee someone in your family or someone close to you will need it at some point in their life. For more information or to schedule an appointment go to kybloodcenter.org reporting for mountaintop news I'm Brianna Robinson.