Tuesday, September 25, 2001

Carter BloodCare now
accepting blood donations
By Jill Sutton
Staff Reporter

Carter BloodCare began accepting blood donations once again Monday after turning people away last week because it feared a surplus, said Jenny Nelson, a Carter BloodCare spokesperson.

Nelson said that one week after the tragedies in New York and Washington, approximately 16,000 units of blood had been donated by area citizens.

“To put that in perspective, in the entire month of August, we drew 21,000 donors,” said Nelson. “As a result (of the increase), our community will benefit because the blood needs right here in the Metroplex are staggering.”

Nelson said Carter BloodCare had to take the unprecedented step of asking blood donors to delay their donations, encouraging them to come back at a later time.

“We just had to thank them profusely for coming, and let them know that our ample supply will not always be here,” said Nelson. “One of our major concerns is that we may see a shortage in the near future because so many (donations) came in a short period of time.”

Carter BloodCare had a full supply of blood last week and did not want additional donations to go to waste, she said.

J.P. McFarland, a senior psychology major, said he did not get a chance to donate blood last week because of the closure but will do so now that Carter BloodCare is accepting donations again.

“Even though I’m all the way down here in Texas, (giving blood) is something I can do and something everyone can do,” McFarland said.

Area hospitals have also benefited from the increase in blood donations, said Quay Lutrell, director of marketing at All Saints Episcopal Hospital.

“If Carter BloodCare is short of donations, then we are too because that is where the blood we use comes from,” said Lutrell. “We encouraged everyone who came to us to go to the sites of Carter BloodCare.”

Nelson said more than half of the donors were donating for the first time and the challenge will be encouraging them to give blood on a regular basis.

Ashby Porter, a 1997 TCU graduate, said he will start giving blood on a regular basis.

He said he has a rare blood type, A-negative, and Carter BloodCare asked if he would be willing to come back and give more since there is always a shortage of his blood type.

“I feel like it is my duty now,” said Porter. “I am ready to start giving on a monthly basis and whenever they call me.”

Jill Sutton
j.m.sutton@student.tcu.edu