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Day: March 29, 2022

National Donate Life Month

Posted on by bbglobalpro

Happy Spring everyone! I don’t know about you, but I’m doing a double take that it’s April already.

And speaking of April, are you aware that this is National Donate Life Month? Donate Life America established National Donate Life Month in 2003 to raise awareness about donation, while encouraging people to register to become organ, cornea and tissue donors.

There are various activities that take place during Donate Life Month, and you can learn more about them by visiting Donate Life America’s website.  

Some of the things we are doing here at South Texas Blood & Tissue include raising the Donate Life Month flag for the month, revitalizing our Legacy Garden that honors donors and taking a staff picture on National Blue and Green Day on April 22, to name a few.

There is also a very special day on April 30– Donor Remembrance Day.  This is a day we come together to recognize, honor and celebrate Donor Heroes who have given the gift of life through organ, cornea and tissue donations.

I know donation represents both heartache for you, the donor family, and thankfulness for a recipient and their family—which are all parts of the grief journey. I hope you can look at your loved one’s gracious donation as being something positive in a very difficult and emotional time.

And remember, you are not alone in your grief journey.  South Texas Blood & Tissue provides the Grief Support and Life Legacies program as well as our Grief Support (South Texas Blood & Tissue) Facebook group.

-Susan Smith, Grief Support Manager, South Texas Blood & Tissue

Fiesta and spring break cause blood donations, drives in area to drop dramatically  

Posted on by bbglobalpro

Celebrating lifesaving donors during Fiesta & Spring Break in a big way 

WHAT: The community blood supply has seen a significant decline in the last few weeks, as many donors have been on spring break. And with upcoming Fiesta celebrations, which tend to interrupt the usual schedule of donations and an increase in accidents that may require blood transfusions, hospitals are concerned that current appointments will not meet the needs of local patients. 

“Spring break is already a challenging time, as we see a drop in donations and blood drives as high schools and colleges are out,” said Adrienne Mendoza, Chief Operating Officer, South Texas Blood & Tissue. “Having Fiesta so close to spring break makes assuring that we have an adequate blood supply more challenging.”  

To celebrate Fiesta and blood donors will receive the South Texas Blood & Tissue 2022 Fiesta medal and an eGift card of choice when they donate now until April 30. The Fiesta medal also comes to life virtually when viewed through a phone app. Donors can see the animation by scanning the QR code found on the back of the medal. 

To adequately support area hospitals, 600 donations are needed daily, and currently less than 400 donations are made. Accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those undergoing treatment for cancer or sickle cell disease require transfusions on a regular basis. 

Donors are encouraged to schedule a donation at SouthTexasBlood.org or call 210-731-5590.  

WHERE: Any South Texas Blood & Tissue Center donor room or blood drive