MidHudsonNews [dot] com is reporting the American Red Cross has issued an emergency call for platelet donors to prevent a blood shortage through the winter. Its list of upcoming blood drives includes one at Greene Meadows in Catskill, Jan. 22; at Hawthorne Valley School, Jan. 28; and, the Chatham Firehouse, Feb. 8. “When donations decline – as they did around the holidays and may further decline if severe weather and flu season picks up – lifesaving medical treatments could be delayed,” said Clifford Numark, senior vice president of Red Cross Biomedical Services. The only source of blood for patients in need is volunteer blood donors, Numark said. In December, winter weather resulted in a severe decline in blood and platelet donations. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.