WOODWAY, Texas — “It’s scary, I don’t like it — It’s a creature that you don’t want to hear about, talk about, or even know about,” said 25 News reporter, Dominique Leh.
It’s a blood sucking, bone chilling, legendary creature, and now it's the new face of blood donation for Carter Blood Care — the legendary Chupacabra.
It's a mythical, reptile-like figure which some say attacks and drinks the blood of livestock.
The Chupacabra is a modern myth which is popular within the Latino community.
“Chupacabra is a notable figure in Mexican and Latin American modern folklore, by having Dr. Chupacabra as our champion we hope his familiarity will bring more attention to the need for Hispanic and Latino blood donors,” said Carter BloodCare Marketing Campaign Strategist, Megan Watkins.
Carter BloodCare introduced ‘Dr. Chupacabra’ earlier this year and they hope he can help change the fear and uncertainty about giving blood.
“Just as we’ve seen the transformation of Dr. Chupacabras as a terrifying menace into a friendly and respected hematologist. Our goal is to dispel some of the fear and myths around blood donation,” Watkins said.
With more than 60 percent of Hispanic people having Type O blood, Carter Blood says there’s always a need for more donations.
“Type O blood is compatible with most patients that are going to need a blood transfusion,” Watkins said.
With the help of Dr. Chupacabras — lives are already being saved.
“You have that cultural familiarity and it’s just something that is representative of our community,” Watkins said.