REPROCELL and BioBridge Global sign Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate global manufacturing services using clinical iPSCs

Our support for the community during COVID-19

Since the earliest days of the global COVID-19 pandemic, BioBridge Global and its subsidiaries have been part of the overall fight to ensure that lifesaving therapies remain available to hospitals and patients in the community. 

From multiple types of donations to critically needed COVID-19 testing, the organization has used its resources to respond to the most serious health crisis of the last 100 years and fulfill its mission to save and enhance lives through the healing power of human cells and tissue. 

A boost for patients 

Last spring, the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center responded to the FDA’s emergency use authorization allowing plasma donations from those who had recovered from COVID-19 to be used in the fight against the disease.

Previous pandemics had shown plasma of those who have beaten the disease contained antibodies that might help those battling the infection. 

In the span of a week, the center established a program to collect convalescent plasma and distribute it to hospitals. That program recently distributed its 20,000th dose of convalescent plasma, with a quarter of that amount provided in January 2021 alone. 

The center is the only organization in San Antonio collecting what is known as convalescent plasma donations for transfusion directly to patients. 

Maintain the blood supply 

Even in a pandemic, there is a significant need for blood donations for cancer and surgery patients, accident victims, new mothers, and more. Last spring, the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center moved blood drives to larger venues, including the Alamodome, to allow for donations with social distancing, masks in place and additional sanitary measures.

All blood drives and donor rooms continue to follow safety guidelines, and the center actually managed to record a small increase in the number of donations from 2019 to 2020. 

Trauma program grows 

The Brothers in Arms program, already the nation’s largest civilian program providing specially tested O-positive blood for use in emergency trauma cases, continued through the pandemic. The need for blood in pre-hospital settings – aboard medical helicopters, at accident scenes and in emergency vehicles – stayed steady in 2020, and so did the supply.  

More than 6,500 qualified Brothers in Arms donors were identified, double the total from 2019, and their donations kept up with demand. A recent article in a military medical journal outlined the successful deployment of the program.

Testing for COVID-19 

Testing expertise at BioBridge Global and its QualTex Laboratories was vital to the quick deployment of quick-turnaround, highly accurate COVID-19 testing by Community Labs, which established its testing laboratory within BioBridge Global facilities. That expertise also helped create a model that other cities and organizations could use for testing micro-populations like schools or businesses. 

In addition, QualTex Laboratories was able to set up a program to test blood donations for the presence of antibodies to COVID-19. The results served as a way to trace the spread of the infection and help people who may have experienced mild COVID-19 symptoms – or none at all – know if they had in fact been infected. 

Other donation programs continue 

Despite the challenges caused by the pandemic, teams from the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center continued their work collecting tissue donations: bone, ligaments and tendons, veins, heart values, skin and more. Each donor’s gift can help up to 75 people overcome conditions from bone injuries to burns. 

The center also has continued efforts to add thousands of tissue, stem cell and bone marrow donors to regional and international registries. Online campaigns added hundreds of potential donors, even in a year when in-person recruitment was suspended.

David and Cindy Schneider

February 2021
The Blood & Tissue Center Foundation
Board Member Spotlight

David and Cindy Schneider

David and Cindy Schneider have been actively involved with The Blood & Tissue Center Foundation since 2016. They have served on a Red & White Ball committee, Co-Chairs of the Red & White Ball, Vice Chairs of Fundraising and Board Chairs in 2019.

They were both fortunate to be raised in strong families who emphasized regular church attendance, moral and ethical values, and service to others. Cindy has been involved in many community organizations and charities, including the Assistance League, San Antonio Conservation Society and Cancer Center Council. Cindy earned Gold status as a Girl Scout and continues her dedication to this organization, currently being on the Development Board of the Girl Scouts Southwest. She is a registered nurse and has served as head nurse on a cardiac floor. David was also active in Scouting and is an Eagle Scout. He is an attorney and has worked for over thirty-five years for Olsen Energy, Inc., the family oil and gas business. He is a Trustee of the Coker Cemetery Association and a past Director of the Inverness HOA. David and Cindy are both Stephen Ministers at Coker UMC.

Cindy’s mother, Barbara, lived with chronic lymphocytic leukemia for many years. As the disease progressed, Barbara would get many transfusions of blood and platelets. Cindy sat with her and supported her during all of those transfusions. After the transfusions, Barbara would feel like new again and for a few days be able to really enjoy her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and friends. Cindy fondly remembers a backyard party she hosted for her Mom with all of her best friends present. Barbara was the shining star of the party, just having a blood transfusion. She passed away about three weeks later. She battled this disease with grace and dignity and was an inspiration to her family. So there is no doubt why the Schneiders are dedicated to The Blood & Tissue Center Foundation, and Cindy was able to tell her Mother’s story at a Board meeting several years ago.

In 2019, Cindy’s family, the Olsen family, made a significant contribution to The Blood & Tissue Center Foundation to purchase a new bloodmobile in honor of her Mother. The Olsens look forward to the dedication very soon. Barbara’s favorite color was yellow, so the bloodmobile will have a yellow rose and stem emblazoned on a red, white and blue State of Texas. This bus will be joined about the same time with the Dancing for a Cause bus, which was purchased with The Foundation’s fundraising efforts in 2019. These will be beautiful new buses that will serve San Antonio and South Texas for many years to come, and the Schneiders are very thankful for the hard work and generosity of the people who made all of this possible.

2021 Champions fore Charity

The Blood & Tissue Center Foundation is in its 13th year of partnering with the Valero Texas Open to make a 7% difference through Champions fore Charity.

2021 Chairs David Schneider and Art Bennert have come together to lead this campaign and encourage fellow board members to make their annual gifts through Champions.

Last year’s contributions made all the difference in saving lives as the operations of The South Texas Blood & Tissue Center made many necessary changes to support hospitals and patients in need during onset of the pandemic.

Please consider making your pledge today for your annual contributions including Red and White Ball tickets, sponsorships or gifts to any funds or programs such as the Founders Circle and the Lori Wright memorial.

A pledge today gives patients like Noah hope.

The bill me option allows you to pledge now and pay later through June 25.

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