There are two times of year that weigh heavily on blood collections: summer months – June, July and August and for another three months from November through January.
It is easy to understand why collections are vastly reduced when ‘school’s out for summer.’ Almost 25 percent of annual blood collections comes from blood drives at high schools. Although high school students are welcomed at community blood drives and in donation centers during the summer, they are not frequent donors during these ‘high need’ months.
The demand for blood or blood products does not take a summer vacation, even if blood donors do. For this reason, it’s the optimal time to host a blood drive or donate blood with Carter BloodCare. Hospitals full of patients depend on blood donations – even while most others enjoy summer fun. Blood donors help ensure chemotherapy patients receive platelets they require; red cells get to heart surgery patients; when a lifesaving donor organ arrives, blood is available.
Advance America is hosting a blood drive from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at 447 N. Garland Avenue on the Carter BloodCare bus. For more information or to schedule an appointment time, contact Veronica Fernandez at 972-404-2705.
Volunteer blood donors are the foundation of any robust healthcare community. There is no substitute for human blood. A diverse blood donor group supports a safe and sufficient blood supply that mirrors a diverse population of potential patients. If each eligible blood donor gave two or three times a year, there would seldom be a shortage of blood or of specific blood types. Carter BloodCare prefers to see 1,000 blood donors daily to keep pace with demand.
Remember to eat a nutritious meal and drink plenty of water one to two hours before giving blood. All donors must weigh at least 110 pounds, feel well on the day of donation, and present a government-issued photo ID each time they give blood.
Potential blood donors may volunteer beginning at age 16 with parental consent; 17-year-olds may give independently and there is no upper age limit for donating blood. For more information on donor eligibility and to make an appointment, call 1-800-366-2834 or visit carterbloodcare.org.
About Carter BloodCare: Carter BloodCare is an independent, community blood center providing transfusion resources to more than 180 medical facilities in 50-plus counties of north, central and east Texas. The non-profit 501(c)(3) organization is one of the largest blood programs in Texas, delivering more than 300,000 blood products annually to meet hospitals’ requirements for their patients. Services include collection, processing, specialized laboratory testing, storage and distribution of blood and blood products. The program is accredited by the AABB, including a laboratory with accreditation for molecular testing of red cell antigens. It is licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is a member of America’s Blood Centers.