Updated 6 p.m. on May 25

South Texas Blood & Tissue sent 25 units of blood to Uvalde the day of school shooting, will continue to support 

All of us at South Texas Blood & Tissue have the community of Uvalde in our hearts and prayers. 

Thanks to generous blood donors, we were able to send 15 units of blood to Uvalde via helicopter to be available at the site of the shooting and at the area hospitals. Later this afternoon, we received a request and sent an additional 10 units of blood to a hospital in Uvalde. 

We will continue to work with hospitals in the area to make blood available as it’s needed and to rebuild their supply for other patients in need. 

600 donors came in to donate today and appointments are full through Saturday.

This tragedy highlights the importance of always having blood available on the shelf and before it’s needed. 

As we enter a long holiday weekend and the beginning of the summer travel season, our community and others across the country are facing a historic need for blood. 

The public is urged to schedule a blood donation at their community blood center, and for those in our community of South Texas, at SouthTexasBlood.org or by calling 210-731-5590. You also may schedule a blood donation at University Hospital’s donor center by calling 210-358-2812 or visiting DonateBloodToday.com.

We highly encourage donors to schedule an appointment at one of our donor rooms or mobile drives. To find our locations and hours, visit SouthTexasBlood.org. 

Although appointments are full through the weekend, we need donors next week and throughout the summer – and community blood banks across the country need donors to rebuild the blood supply in case of future crises like this one. 

Media kit: Emergency blood delivery helicopter footage available for use here.