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CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital, Paris Junior College invite the community to give at lifesaving blood drives
SULPHUR SPRINGS, Texas (September 30, 2019) –There is no substitute for human blood. And when a patient’s life is on the line, blood must be at the ready with only a moment’s notice. The volume of blood required to supply regional medical facilities is great enough that Carter BloodCare requests at least 1,000 volunteers to show up and give blood every day. There are hundreds of patients waiting for lifesaving blood donations. Many of their treatments, such as chemotherapy, would not happen without blood or platelets waiting on the shelves.
CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital is hosting a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, October 5 at 115 Airport Road in the parking lot on the Carter BloodCare bus. For more information or to schedule an appointment time, contact Lanie Wright at (903) 571-9667.
Paris Junior College of Sulphur Springs is hosting a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, October 31 at 1137 TX-301 Loop in the parking lot on the Carter BloodCare bus. For more information or to schedule an appointment time, contact Mayra Cummings at (903) 885-1232.
When you give blood, you can save at least three lives because the blood is separated into several components. Some patients only need one product, like red cells or platelets; or, the patient requires a combination of them in different ratios. The blood helps to ensure chemotherapy patients receive platelets they require; red cells are available for heart surgery patients; and when a lifesaving donor organ arrives, blood is accessible to surgeons for the operation.
Eat a nutritious meal and drink plenty of water one to two hours before giving blood. Standard eligibility requirements are: the minimum weight of 110 pounds, the donor feels well that day, and they present a government-issued photo ID at each donation. Potential blood donors may volunteer 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.