The American Red Cross is in need of blood and platelet donations, to help avoid a winter shortage. Spokeswoman Sue Thesenga (THEE-sin-guh) says “Platelets are a key clotting component of the blood and it’s often needed for cancer patients, surgical patients or bone marrow recipients. And it must be transfused within five days of the donation.” She says blood has a longer shelf life of 42 days. Donations were down in November and December due to the holidays. Thesenga says every two seconds a patient in the U.S. needs blood.