Brownsville, Texas, January 12, 2022 – Valley Regional Medical Center is set to host a blood drive this Friday, January 14, and encourages the community to respond to Vitalant Blood Donation's critical appeal for blood donations. America’s Blood Centers, an association representing most blood centers in the United States, reports the current trend for blood is the lowest they have seen in two years.

Donating blood is easy, it's informative, and most of all, saves lives. The purpose of blood drives is to serve many patients in local hospitals in various ways and to those who have ever wondered who benefits from blood donations, here are some tidbits of information:

  • Red blood cells can be used for 42 days after they are donated. They are used in the treatment of accident victims, to replace blood lost during surgery, treat burn victims, and increase the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity. They are also used to treat anemia that can't be medically corrected.
  • Platelets are stored separately from other components and must be used within five days after the donation. They are commonly used to treat bone marrow failure, leukemia and cancer patients, low platelet count, or other conditions causing abnormally functioning platelets.
  • Plasma has a much longer shelf life and is often frozen for later use. Once thawed, plasma is used during cardiac surgery, for burn victims, and to treat bleeding disorders. For example, bleeding disorders can occur in liver failure, when too much of a blood thinner has been given or when severe bleeding and massive transfusions result in low levels of clotting factors.

Valley Regional Medical Center encourages the community to schedule their blood donation during the hospital's upcoming blood drive on Friday, January 14, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. An appointment can be made at Vitalant.com and walk-ins are welcome. All donors must wear a mask.

All donors receive a free total cholesterol test with every blood donation and check their blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and hemoglobin.

For more information on upcoming blood drives contact Mariana Tumlinson, director of marketing and public relations for Valley Regional Medical Center, at 956.350.7745, or Sandy Vasquez, donor recruitment manager for Vitalant, at 210.723.2447.