Saving Lives By Making Transfusions Possible
Chosen as the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Month for December 2018 is 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.
Carter BloodCare is the blood supplier for Freestone Medical Center. They regularly host blood drives that are open to the public which serve as the main source of blood donations in the Fairfield community.
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.
Carter BloodCare’s journey began in 1951 when J.K. and Susie L. Wadley chartered the nonprofit Wadley Research Institute and Blood Bank.
Separately, in 1957, the Amon G. Carter Foundation provided grant money to help charter the nonprofit Carter Blood Center to serve Fort Worth.
In 1993, the Wadley organization changed its name to BloodCare of Dallas. Both community blood centers agreed they could provide better service to the DFW metropolitan area by merging. So, in 1998, BloodCare joined with Carter Blood Center to form the nonprofit, 501(c)(3) community blood center known today as Carter BloodCare.
In 2001, Carter BloodCare expanded into Central Texas following the invitation to provide service to Waco hospitals.
In April of 2007, Carter BloodCare merged with Stewart Regional Blood Center in Tyler, furthering the reach into East Texas and creating one of the largest community blood centers.
Carter BloodCare plays a role in maintaining a safe and sufficient blood supply. That’s because the collected blood doesn’t belong to them; it belongs to the community. They act as stewards to be sure that hospitals have the right blood product, of the right blood type and at the right time for their patients.
The first step in helping Carter BloodCare serve Fairfield is to check if you meet the qualifications to give blood; these include: must be at least 16 years old, with a parent’s consent; 17-year-olds can donate independently; there’s no upper age limit; must weigh a minimum of 110 pounds; must present a government-issued photo ID each time you give blood (military ID, driver license, and some other acceptable forms like school IDs); must be feeling well on day of donation; and most medications don’t prevent you from giving.
The donation process is simple; only a few steps and you’re out the door. You’ll just need to answer a brief and confidential medical questionnaire; receive a mini-physical (blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature and finger stick check – this checks their hematocrit and tells if they have enough red blood cells to give away); give the actual blood donation; and eat/drink snacks and juice to replenish your system.
The actual blood donation only takes 10-15 minutes, but the entire process takes about an hour; between the screening, donation and post-donation wait time with juice and snacks. If you’re giving an apheresis platelet donation, then it’ll take about two hours.
The holidays are truly a time of need for Carter BloodCare. During this time of the year, there is a lull in blood donation, mostly affecting the supply of Rh-negative blood types; mainly because blood donation is not top-of-mind. Unfortunately, this also means Carter BloodCare’s ability to help hospitals and patients goes down, even as surgical procedure requests continue.
Medical institutions require blood for transfusion services during surgeries and medical treatments. There is no substitute for human blood.
Fairfield’s next community blood drive will be held at Freestone Medical Center in February 2019. For updates on dates, time, and locations of upcoming drives near you, visit Carter BloodCare’s event page.
Donors can also give blood at Carter BloodCare’s Central Texas donor center, at 206 Archway Drive in Woodway. Donor center hours can be found online. To schedule an appointment to give blood, visit carterbloodcare.org or call/text (800)366-2834.
Some Blood Facts
–Only 38% of people are eligible to give blood, at any given time
–One in seven people admitted to a hospital needs a blood transfusion
–Four million people would die annually without blood transfusions
–Common reasons for blood transfusion include: car accidents, bone marrow transplants, severe burn injuries, cancer, heart surgery, anemia, organ transplants, and Sickle Cell Disease
–Just one pint of blood saves up to three lives
–Red blood cells can be stored for 42 days
–The three main components of blood Carter BloodCare produces are: red blood cells, plasma and platelets
–More than 12 tests are performed on each unit of donated blood
–You cannot contract infectious diseases by donating blood
–Carter BloodCare needs to see 1000 donors every day to maintain a healthy blood supply
If you are able to donate blood, please visit Carter BloodCare as often as possible to give the gift of life!
