Give Blood, Give Life this Week, Oct. 11-14

When you give blood, you're giving the gift of life. There is no substitute for human blood. And when a patient’s life is on the line, blood must be on hand.

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.

American State Bank is hosting a blood drive from 2 pm to 6 pm Thursday, Oct. 11 at 5202 Old Jacksonville Highway on the Carter BloodCare bus. For more information or to schedule an appointment time, contact Ken Allen at (903) 266-5500.

Qwik-Bike is hosting a blood drive from 4:30 pm to 9 pm Friday, Oct. 12 at 4535 Old Jacksonville Highway on the Carter BloodCare bus. For more information or to schedule an appointment time, contact Lanie Wright at (903) 571-9667.

Trinity Lutheran is hosting a blood drive from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm Sunday, Oct. 14 at 2001 South Hunter in the parking lot on the Carter BloodCare bus. For more information or to schedule an appointment time, contact Christine Martinez at (903) 593-1526.

Pollard United Methodist Church is hosting a blood drive from 9 am to 1 pm Sunday, Oct. 14 at 3030 New Copeland Road at the Spirit Life Center. For more information or to schedule an appointment time, contact Duffie Monroe at (903) 579-9213.

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: a 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.