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“Return to normal” is not happening for the community blood supply.”
Saltillo Store hosts the Carter BloodCare drive for Texans in urgent need of lifesaving blood transfusions.
SALTILLO, Texas (March 23, 2022) – As North, Central, and East Texans resume regular activities this spring, Carter BloodCare reminds residents to put blood donation at the top of their to-do lists. Although statewide COVID-19 cases have dropped this season, and resumption of many activities compete for time, the community blood supply has not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels; many blood types remain at less than one day’s availability. As a result, between 600 and 800 patients need blood transfusions daily; most require more than one unit of red cells or other blood components, like platelets.
To help the community replenish and recover, Saltillo Store hosts a blood drive from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm Saturday, April 2, at 13573 US Highway 67 East in the parking lot on the Carter BloodCare bus. For details and to make an appointment that saves local lives, contact Cami Van Gerwen at (903) 951-3431.
To save time, donors can complete their medical history questionnaire online on the day of donation before arriving to give blood. From mini-health checks and donations to complimentary refreshments, most donors can expect the entire process to take only an hour or less.
Potential blood donors may volunteer at age 16 with parental consent; 17-year-olds and older may give independently; there is no upper age limit. Also, people with and without COVID-19 vaccinations are eligible to donate blood. For more on donor eligibility and to set an appointment to breathe new life into the community blood supply, call 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 nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization is one of Texas’s most extensive blood programs, delivering more than 450,000 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. Tu centro de sangre comunitario.