South Texas Blood and Tissue Center Bus In Laredo
By
KGNS News
Story Created:
Aug 2, 2012 at 5:46 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Aug 2, 2012
The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center buses were in town today looking for Laredoans wanting to donate blood.
Dozens of people turned out to give including one who, with his donation today has given over nine gallons of blood.
Our Annette Garcia spoke to him and has the story.
South Texas Blood and Tissue Center buses using up a good part of the KGNS-TV parking lot all for a good cause.
One of the first to line up and donate was David Perez who marked quite a milestone in the number of gallons of blood he's donated in his lifetime.
“It will be nine gallons plus one pint because I’m going to do a double donation.”
Perez says it’s a tradition he's taken seriously.
“One, I’m o negative which is a universal donor and I forget what the acronym stands for but I’m something something negative which is what they use for premature babies.”
South Texas Blood and Tissue Center representatives say the summertime is when blood is needed most.
More people out enjoying themselves unfortunately leads to more accidents and more trauma patients in emergency rooms.
But during the summer it’s all harder to find people willing to donate blood.
“They’re on vacation, they’re traveling. Students are not here they’re gone we really struggle to find blood in the summertime.”
So they're very grateful for people like Perez.
“That is absolutely awesome if you consider the lives being saved its awesome.”
“You never know who’s life you’re going to save it could be loved one could be a total stranger.”
Perez hope others will follow in his footsteps.
“I’m a teacher at united high school so whenever they’re collecting over there I’m out there donating too and I tell my students go. go do it.”
If you’d like to find out where to donate there’s the website to go to southtexasblood.org
