WACO, Texas — "No one is saying anything, no one has been out," said a neighbor of Tammie Garland.
"It’s a weird feeling around here right now — we’re all mourning in our own way.”
Tammie Garland organized a blood drive for her son, Cameron, who passed away from a rare case of leukemia in 2013.
Her son needed a lot of blood transfusions, so after he died, she vowed to hold a blood drive every year on the day he died.
“I watched the transfusions and how long and how much, because you can’t tell your body is depleting it, but we all have to have it," Garland said.
Carter Blood Care is the organization taking the blood for the drive this year.
They say every donation saves three lives.
“January is blood donor month, so we use it to draw people in to donate," said Jessica Amaro with Carter Blood Care.
25 News is hosting a blood drive this Thursday, similar to this Garland's — she urges to come give blood if you can.
SEE MORE: 25 Cares Blood Drive: How to donate and give the 'gift of life'
"It’s absolutely necessary — even if you think you won’t need it, you never know," Garland said.
"You can’t make it, it can’t be made in a lab — it has to come from a real person.”
25 News' blood drive is this Thursday, Jan. 4 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The mobile blood bus will be located at at the station 1909 New Road.
