Important message from Carter BloodCare: local blood inventory at crisis level
Community response requested from all eligible blood donors
Freestone Medical Center is hosting a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, August 1 at 764 W. Commerce St. in the parking lot on the Carter BloodCare bus. For more information or to schedule an appointment time, contact Rebecca Yarbrough at (903) 389-1618.
Carter BloodCare says the community blood supply, especially the red blood cell inventory, has hit a crisis level that ranges beyond the expected summer lows. Any unanticipated surge in blood needs by a local hospital could deplete the inventory in a matter of minutes. If your life depended on it, you would receive a blood transfusion. But there is a shortage, so there is no guarantee. Blood cannot be stocked indefinitely and there is no substitute for it. It must come from altruistic community members. That means someone’s life or health is depending on volunteers, if you want to donate blood then you may contact this Mobile Blood Drive.
Carter BloodCare is requesting your help in one or more of the following ways:
–Please tell your friends, family, and business associates that blood donors are needed now to maintain a safe and sufficient community blood supply.
–Appointments are not required; walk-ins are welcomed. If they do call, we will certainly book an appointment, but our request is for immediate action.
–Please consider sharing and retweeting Carter BloodCare’s social media posts; and ask friends to do the same thing.
Eat a nutritious meal and drink plenty of water one to two hours before giving blood. Standard eligibility requirements are a minimum weight of 110 pounds, the donor feels well that day and presents a government-issued photo ID at each donation.
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 through SAFE cryo . It is licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is a member of America’s Blood Centers.
