Grateful for good health? Give blood for others’ recovery
ROCKWALL, Texas (November 6, 2020) – Thanksgiving might look different in 2020. The gatherings could be smaller, along with your turkey. But more than ever, it is time to be thankful for good health – especially in the midst of a pandemic.
Whether we celebrate and express thanks in person or virtually, many patients will be in local hospitals and could require blood transfusions. Carter BloodCare is calling on all healthy and eligible donors to make appointments to donate so that blood is on the shelf when hospitals need it for patients. The blood supply is critically low and unstable. Donations are not keeping pace with demand as hospitals return to their usual level of services.
It is important to remember that blood has a shelf life and cannot be manufactured. It must come from generous people who want to help someone else.
Patients requiring blood can be those undergoing cancer treatments or heart surgery, mothers experiencing emergent childbirth complications, or those involved in a traumatic accident. The blood on the shelf saves lives. Donors save three lives each time they give.
JER Chilton YMCA at Rockwall will host a drive from 2 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 11, at 1210 N. Goliad St. in the spin room. To receive more information or schedule an appointment, contact Jocelyn Craig at 972-772-9622.
To reduce wait times, appointments are encouraged and blood donors can complete the medical history questionnaire online on the day of donation, before they show up to give blood. This helps manage “social distancing.” Donors and staff are required to wear masks; and surfaces are cleaned between each donor.
Carter BloodCare continues to offer COVID-19 antibody testing on successful donations, for a limited time. Donors can retrieve their results within one to two weeks through a secure portal on the blood center’s web site that donors set up following a donation.
Potential blood donors may volunteer beginning 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.
For information on donor eligibility and appointments, call or text 800-366-2834 or visit carterbloodcare.org. For more information on antibody testing for COVID-19, visit the Centers for Disease Control web site.
Submitted press release, edited for publication in Blue Ribbon News.
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