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In February, the season known for celebrating love, grateful patients say ‘I love you’ to their donors, without ever knowing who scheduled time in their day to help save their life.

January, a period of critical blood shortages, is National Blood Donor Month. People tend to stop donating blood during the holidays and when they get sick during cold and flu season. Blood drives also get snowed out during the winter months. Carter BloodCare's volunteer donors are asked to make an appointment to give blood.

While hospitals continue to order convalescent plasma (CCP) for local COVID-19 patients, Carter BloodCare has shown a downward data trend for orders, providing perspective on current patient needs in the north, central and east Texas regions. COVID-19 "survivors" are still asked to donate CCP to save lives of patients that may not have other treatment options.

Carter BloodCare stresses that it is safe to give blood and CCP, even in the midst of a pandemic. 

• Serious complications from sickle cell disease are often treated by performing a 'red cell exchange transfusion'
• Healthy red blood cells replace almost all of the patient's sickled cells 
• The healthy cells have a 120-day life span; sickle cells live only 30 to 60 days

TYLER, Texas (September 19, 2017) – When you meet bride-to-be Caitlin Campbell and her fiancé Lathan Pilcher, you can tell they think of others first. She is a radiology technician and he is a firefighter – both in helping professions. Carter BloodCare has an incredible pool of volunteer blood donors, some of whom have given gallons over their lifetime – saving hundreds of lives in the process.