Carter BloodCare teamed with Brookvan College to collect blood donations.

By Robyn McAllister
Contributing Writer

Brookhaven College students, staff and faculty donated blood through a Carter BloodCare blood drive to help save lives. Donations were made Sept. 18-20 in a mobile Carter BloodCare center in parking lot P3 in front of S Building.

Tina Brooks, a phlebotomist with Carter BloodCare, said the organization needs all blood types. Whole blood donations are the most common type of donation. “There are different blood types out there, but O Positive is the No. 1 blood type,” Brooks said.

“My French teacher in high school … influenced me to donate,” Monica Saucedo, a student, said. She said her teacher had a rare blood type that was used to save an infant in a nearby hospital. “Ever since then, my whole perspective on it has changed completely, and that’s why I donate,” she said.

According to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, almost all leukemia patients require a blood transfusion at some point during their care, making cancer patients the most common recipients of blood.

“I think donating blood is important,” Jennifer Salgado, a student, said.

To donate blood, a donor must be at least 16 years old, have a parent’s consent if they are a minor and weigh a minimum of 110 pounds. Donors must avoid consuming alcohol at least 12 hours prior to donating, according to the Carter BloodCare website.

The process for donating blood can take up to one hour to complete.

Upon entering the Carter BloodCare bus, a phlebotomist taste a donor’s blood for iron and hemoglobin levels.

A questionnaire will follow to assess whether a donor is qualified to donate blood.

Afterward, a phlebotomist will begin the blood donation process. The procedure takes about 30 minutes to complete and one pint of blood will be donated.

The phlebotomist will then offer refreshments, and allow the donor to rest in a waiting area before leaving.

Anyone interested in donating plasma or platelets can visit carterbloodcare.org.

Carter BloodCare is a non-profit organization that focuses primarily in north, central and east Texas and specializes in the collection, processing, laboratory testing and distribution of blood, according to carterbloodcare.org.

To donate blood or to find a local donation center, those interested can visit carterbloodcare.org.