COLLEGE STATION, Texas — As the medical field continues to experience a shortage of Blood, KRHD 25 News partnered with - College Station to fill the gap with a two-day Blood Drive.
Judy Swoboda has been a nurse just shy of 50 years and for last half century she has donated blood in memory of her nephew, Donnie, who died from Leukemia.
"I know one thing that made him feel better was to get blood. So, our family and friends started donating blood to his cause," said Swoboda, R.N. and lactation specialist for Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - College Station.
Since becoming a nurse decades ago, Swoboda sees firsthand how blood works to save lives in cases of trauma, cancer and even childbirth.
"Working on the maternity floor like I do, sometimes women have complications, and they need blood to boost them back up and it's pretty amazing to me that a woman can lose that blood and then get a blood transfusion and they're back to normal,"said Swoboda.
Because the need for blood is so high, Swoboda wants people to know that donating is truly safe and easy.
"Be self-assured that the people that are working in that donation center are experts at it and go through a lot of training for it, and they work together," said Swoboda. "When I go in to donate blood, they look around for the best blood vessel to get the blood."
With a national blood shortage, just one person donating can save as many as three lives. Swoboda said thinking of the people that she is ultimately helping makes donating worth it.
"I am O+ so that's a pretty popular type, so I feel like when I donate blood I just kind of envision all of the people I might be helping," said Swoboda.
If you would like to become a blood donor visit here. You can also host blood drives through Baylor Scott & White by visiting here.
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