UPDATED 2 p.m. Feb. 8
Michelle Stout, donor recruitment consultant for the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center, confirmed the daily result of the campus Blood Drive, Feb. 5-7:
Feb. 5: 25 units collected
Feb. 6: 19 units collected
Feb. 7: 15 units collected
Feb. 5-The Center’s goal was to collect 81 units for the entire drive, or 27 units a day. Stout said missing the goal was “devastating” but it “doesn’t discount that it was 59 units” collected.
The next blood drive at Texas A&M University-San Antonio will be April 10-12.
According to the American Red Cross, roughly 38 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood at any time. However, less than 10 percent donate annually.
The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center supplies 67 hospitals in 43 south Texas counties. Michelle Stout, a donor recruitment consultant for the Center, estimated this region requires about 600 units of blood per day.
To help meet the needs of surrounding counties, the Pre-Health Society at Texas A&M University-San Antonio will partner with the Center to host a blood drive.
Students can walk-up to the mobile clinic, adjacent to the Auditorium in Parking Lot 2, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 5 through Feb. 7. Upon arriving, students will receive a mini physical to check eligibility — which includes a blood pressure reading, pulse and temperature check, as well as an iron count.
If not having enough donors is already a problem, then blood’s expiration date only magnifies the issue. Whole blood is good for 45 days, while platelets last just one week.
“We are struggling to maintain [hospital] requests,” Stout said. “By donating consistently, students are helping us maintain the adequate blood supply.”
Ruby Herrera, president of the Pre-Health Society, said it’s important for students to donate in light of recent disasters like hurricanes and the Sutherland Springs shooting.
“Blood is a precious gift of life,” Stout said. “Just one person can save up to three lives.”
Students who donate this week will not only walk away feeling proud, but will also receive volunteer hours. Herrera said members of Pre-Health Society automatically earn one hour of service for donating blood.
The goal for A&M-San Antonio is to get 81 units in three days, Stout said.
“We want to be ready before, not after [a disaster],” she said.
Walk-ins are welcome, but students who would like to schedule a time slot can visit South Texas Blood and Tissue Center’s website or sign up with Pre-Health Society from 9 a.m. to noon on Feb. 5.
