WACO, Texas — The holiday season is here, which is also the slowest time of year for local blood banks. Many of whom are already facing shortages.
"Right now we are moving into the holidays and holidays have always been a time of need," Carter BloodCare Manager of Recruitment Operations Vickie Carpenter said. "However ever since COVID happened, we never really gotten back up to the participation from donors like we were before COVID."
Carter BloodCare needs about 1,100 units of blood daily to have a comfortable supply, but sometimes see as little as 800 across all of their facilities.
"What we like is to have a certain reserve on shelf that covers several days out that we're constantly replenishing," Carpenter said. "To get out of a shortage, we need just need to have donors continue to come in and donate blood."
They are in need of donors of all blood types, but the universal donor of O+ blood is at the top of the list.
"I have good blood," O+ donor Marjorie Carroll said. "Everyone says 'you have o? You got to donate.'"
Carroll donated on Tuesday to Carter Blood Care, because she knows just how much it is needed.
"I think it's important because if it was me and they were all out of blood or my son or one of my family members and they didn't have any blood, I would feel bad I never donated," she said.
Now she encourages everyone else who is eligible to make a donation as well.
Anyone older than 16-years-old and who weighs more than 110 pounds is eligible to donate. For more information, you can visit their website.
