A regular lesson in the Red Cross is that tragedy can bring people together to do amazing things. This story comes out of the Bay Area over the past two weeks, in which Fremont officer Todd Young was shot twice while serving an arrest warrant in East Oakland. The suspect, Andrew Barrientos, fled and was arrested within feet of the U.S.-Mexico border two days later.

This past week Young has been undergoing several surgeries. To stabilize him alone, 60 units of blood were needed (60 successful donations). In all, 127 blood products were needed. The local Red Cross, as with our area, was already suffering from a lack of donations and suddenly was put into a tough situation. Thankfully, the area Police Departments had their officers donate while on duty and the community came together to show a strong increase in donations. Young’s status has been upgraded from critical to serious condition.

While it is great that the community has come out to show support, the ideal is to have the blood on hand before the crisis situation occurs. We rely heavily on regular donations, and with vacations typical to the summer and Labor Day weekend the thought of donating can be forgotten. We are currently in an urgent need of blood and September is National Preparedness Month. Why not help us prepare by scheduling an appointment if you are eligible, and passing along the message to your friends and family?

Photo: Alameda County Sheriff’s Sgt. Pat Cohen Donating Blood with the Red Cross, Mercury News