CLEVELAND — Phil Wayner has had leukemia since he was 3 years old. His mom, Katie, has lost count of how many blood transfusions he’s needed. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Red Cross sees a dip in blood donations during the summer 

  • They attribute this to donors being busier in the summer

  • A local family that has relied on blood donations said they can't afford a lapse in donations 

“It totally turned our world upside down. He was a healthy and normal kid, and this really came out of nowhere," said Katie Wayner, Phil's mom

They have relied on donated blood to keep him alive. This time of year is a time when the American Red Cross said they see a dip in blood donations. Phil’s family said they can’t afford any kind of lapse. 

“Without these blood products, our son Phil would not be able to fight this. He would not be stable enough," Wayner said. 

The northeastern Ohio branch of the Red Cross showed Spectrum News what happens to donated blood.

“We’re splitting up one pint of blood into three products," said Christy Peters of the Red Cross, as the staff worked with the blood. 

The Red Cross said the three products are called platelets, red blood and plasma, which can each help people with different conditions in different ways. They said these donations are used up fast, so they need quick replenishment. 

“Many people get busy, kids are out of school, people are finally traveling again, and that means they’re getting out of their regular routine of giving blood," Peters said. 

Wayner said for her son’s sake and for anyone else reliant on blood donors, they hope that giving blood gets squeezed into summer activities for potential donors. 

“As people get busier and they’re not able to donate, that doesn’t mean leukemia stops getting diagnosed," Wayner said.