By Arnell DiMaandal
NewsChannel 3

The Blood Bank's still reaping in donations more than a day after its plea to help a motorcycle accident victim. Blood donors have been very generous, especially after seeing our story yesterday on NewsChannel 3. But three other road accidents happened overnight and it's just another example why the blood bank needs help.

"It's still not where it should be."
 
Hard to believe the 160 pints of blood donated Monday are all but gone.

"We probably collected yesterday about 3 times what we normally do."

This after the Blood Bank's plea to help 20-year-old Caleb Barton, who severed his arm in a motorcycle accident over the weekend.

"They heard the story, they heard the appeal and they're responding."

The Blood Bank says they desperately need Type O blood, the kind that's referred to as the universal donor. It's the type that the blood bank has actually been begging for for years.

"I heard about the accident, the motorcycle accident, and I knew it was time for me to get back in here to give again."

It's more that just Caleb Barton who needs help. In Indio, a car crash killed a 55-year-old man and badly injured another man who had to be airlifted to Desert Regional Medical Center.

In Coachella, medics rushed three victims to the hospital in critical condition after their cars collided.

And in yet another accident, a child was hurt after being hit by a car, also in Coachella. These accidents happened in less than 24 hours. Grim reminders that the Blood Bank always needs help.

"I came to donate blood because there are so many accidents and the blood bank is so short."

"Donating blood isn't always on the forefront of people's minds and they don't think about it. They don't think about the accidents and the surgeries and the people needing blood."

Again, the Blood Bank's still short on supply, despite two days of generous donations. They're calling for new donors and regulars to give every 56 days.

You can learn more at http://www.cbbc-blood.org/