WICHITA COUNTY (KFDX/KJTL) — Donor centers across the state said they are suffering from a severe blood shortage.

Wichita County is no different as officials say blood supply is currently at a one to two-day supply.

Eight to ten minutes of your day is all it takes to donate blood that could potentially save someone’s life and Stephany Wolf, who had a first-hand experience, understands how crucial community support can be.

Wolf said having needed multiple transfusions herself some six years ago she knows how critical blood donations are.

“In 2005 I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and required several units of blood products, multiple different types of blood products and multiple units of each,” Wolf said.

Through donations from family, friends, and others, Wolf said she was able to pull through.

“Without the donations that were matched specifically to me it put me at a higher risk for blood reaction,” Wolf said.

She said she is thankful that she had a blood institute close to home with the resources she needed that made it possible for her to be close to family.

Now as the Texas Blood Institute cries for more blood donors in what they said is a record low of supply, Wolf, as well as TBI Account Consultant Ben Schaffner, encourage Texomans to pull up their sleeves.

“Once 2020 hit and COVID-19 came on we saw a decline,” Schaffner said. “We’ve been down to a one to two-day supply, and we usually carry a four to five-day supply on our hospital shelf.”

“The daily amount of blood that we need for our hospital shelves is 1200-units,” Schaffner continued.

And those concerned about donating because of previously testing positive for COVID-19 or have had the vaccine can still give blood.

“As long as it was 14-days post-covid and you [feel], it well those COVID donors was able to donate plasma, convalescent plasma to help others fighting in the hospital,” Schaffner said.

Wolf, who now has a daughter, said she is very thankful for the people who took time out of their lives to help save her and Schaffner said you too can do the same.

There are multiple ways you can be a part of blood donations by donating and setting up a blood drive or by volunteering your time at a blood drive.

Find details on being a blood donor here.