SAN ANTONIO – PAM Health and Specialty Hospital San Antonio will host a blood drive during DreamWeek San Antonio from Tuesday, Jan. 27, to Friday, Jan. 30.
The drive was planned as part of DreamWeek, but it comes at a time when South Texas is in need of blood.
Over the weekend, Roger Ruiz with South Texas Blood & Tissue said several blood donation appointments were canceled due to the winter storm.
“Over 200 donations have been lost either from blood drives being canceled or donors just not able to make their appointments,” Ruiz said. “With one donation, three lives can be helped with that — three patients, and so, in reality, those 200 plus donations is 600 plus patients.”
CEO Jennifer West and Chief Nursing Officer Monique Hunter work for PAM Health and Specialty Hospital San Antonio. The hospital will partner with South Texas Blood & Tissue for blood drives during DreamWeek.
“Every day, we are taking care of critically ill patients, and these patients often need blood on a daily basis,” Hunter said.
“DreamWeek is a great opportunity for us to partner with our community leaders and help out and help each other,” West said.
In addition to the blood drives, South Texas Blood & Tissue will have its Heroes in Arms Event on Thursday, Jan. 29.
“As part of DreamWeek, it highlights the importance of what we call our whole blood program,” Ruiz said. “Heroes in Arms is a select group of donors. It’s O-positive donors who have low antibodies and antigens in their blood that can be transfused to anybody at the scene.”
Donations from people approved to be part of the Heroes in Arms effort go to traumatic scenes, such as car crashes and mass casualty incidents, and are used immediately for life-saving measures.
While not everyone can donate through the Heroes in Arms program, many people can donate at regular blood drives, such as the following DreamWeek blood drives:
- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan 27 - 8902 Floyd Curl
- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan 27 - 11407 Wayland Way
- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan 28 - 5101 Medical Drive
- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Jan 29 - 5418 N Loop 1604 W
- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan 30 - 10323 Texas Highway 151
Read also: