True Tales of Social Distancing

Throughout the madness of the COVID-19 outbreak, Americans have seen the healthcare system fight through the largest and most frightening pandemic in 100 years. Many of us have been aware of the PPE (personal protective equipment) shortage impacting those on the frontlines, but there has been another medical deficiency: a drop in the nation’s blood supply triggered by the coronavirus outbreak.

At a White House press briefing in March, Dr. Jerome Adams, Surgeon General of the United States, said, “We know many of you are home practicing the president’s guidelines for social distancing, but one thing we should all consider, especially our millennials and Gen Z, is donating blood.” In response to his call to action, Abby Hornacek, host of the Getting Schooled podcast and PARK*D on Fox Nation, has since encouraged Americans to help address a severe shortage of blood donations through a social-media campaign under the hashtag #BringTheBlood.

According to the American Red Cross, one donation can save up to three lives. “In all that has been happening with the virus, it’s easy to forget that there is still a need for blood donations. I think people are afraid to go out and expose themselves or others to the virus,” Hornacek says. “Blood drives have been canceled across the nation in response to the outbreak, and there are still people out there who need blood transfusions to survive. I felt a responsibility to share this knowledge with my followers, and this is what prompted me to launch this challenge.”

Together with Kacie McDonnell and Tomi Lahren, recently, Hornacek has co-hosted Tales of Social Distancing on Fox Nation, documenting moments of their day while living through the pandemic, including her visit to a temporary American Red Cross facility in Arizona to donate blood herself. “The donation process was very safe. They are following social-distancing guidelines by keeping people six feet apart. It was very clean. They disinfect everything, so there is no need to worry. And it only takes about 23 minutes of your time. It is a great opportunity for those that are healthy to make a difference,” she shares. “Right now, we can take this time as an opportunity for reflection. It gives us the chance to connect with those close to us. For example, I have really been appreciating the time I have gotten to spend with my parents. I like to think that this is a great moment for people to really focus on bettering themselves.”

Writer: Samantha Orr

Photographer: Fox News

Editor: Eiko Watanabe

Special thanks to EPK Media (@myepk & @epkmedia - epkmedia.com)