North Texas health officials seek to replenish blood supplies depleted by shootings

Posted Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009 Comments   (0) Print Share Share Reprints
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By MITCH MITCHELL

mitchmitchell@star-telegram.com

North Texas health care officials are seeking blood donations to restock supplies depleted by response to the mass shooting at Fort Hood.

Carter BloodCare sent out several units of O-negative blood and several units of platelets Thursday to answer the military's call for additional supplies. Donations of O-negative blood and platelets are needed locally to replenish local inventories.

"We answered their call as soon as we got it and we would really like to see people call our neighborhood centers and make appointments to donate,” said Bobby Grigsby, chief operating officer, Carter BloodCare.

O-negative donors are universal donors and health care workers anticipate heavy demand, Carter officials said.

Carter BloodCare sent units of blood to central Texas hospitals including Darnell at Fort Hood, Metroplex, Scott & White, and the VA Hospital in Temple. Carter BloodCare is the primary supplier to the Killeen-area hospitals.

Potential blood donors must be at least 17 years old or 16 with a parent’s consent, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good general health. Photo ID is required.

There is no upper age limit for donors and most medications do not interfere with donor eligibility. For more information or to make an appointment to give blood, call 1-800-DONATE-4 (1-800-366-2834) or visit carterbloodcare.org.

Also, there will be a blood drive in Farmers Branch at the American Red Cross facility located at 1 Medical Parkway. The center will be open until 11 p.m. Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. Officials said appointments are not necessary.

The Red Cross also is urging anyone in the Dallas-Fort Worth area who is concerned about a loved one at Fort Hood to go to www.redcross.org and click on the "Safe and Well" link.

There, they can enter the name of the person they're looking for, or they can search to see if their loved one has registered, Red Cross officials said.

"The situation is still uncertain on the base and it may take several hours before people can register that they're safe and well," the officials said in a news release. "Local residents are encouraged to keep checking the Safe and Well site, as well as trying to make contact via cell phone, email, text messages, etc."

Or readers can call the base Hot Line at 866-836-2751 or 254-288-7570.

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