Blood Drive Feb. 10.
Carter Blood Care will have a bus in Wilshire’s south parking lot on Wednesday, Feb. 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Donating blood is always essential, but it is crucial to maintaining a healthy blood supply during the pandemic. Thousands of blood drives have been cancelled since March, resulting in more than 52,000 lost blood donations. On average, 600 to 800 patients rely on trusted blood transfusions daily, and hospitals rely on donors to provide the blood. Each blood donation has the potential to save at least three lives.
The minimum age to donate is 16, and those under 18 will need parental consent. Permission forms are located on the Carter website and will also be available onsite.
Carter is also offering COVID-19 antibody testing on successful donations. Donors can retrieve their results within one to two weeks through a secure portal on Carter’s website.
Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are encouraged to reduce wait times and help with social distancing. Make your appointment here,
Donors can fill out the medical history questionnaire before coming by using Carter’s QuickScreen platform (carterbloodcare.org/quickscreen), although this must be done on the day of donation. The form can also be accessed by downloading the Carter BloodCare mobile app. When using QuickScreen, use the name that is on your driver’s license. Please note that scheduling an appointment and using QuickScreen are two different processes.
Upon arrival at Wilshire, please check in at the bus and give your mobile phone number. You may be asked to wait in your vehicle or at a designated space until space is available on the bus. Make sure you have your driver’s license or other valid photo ID.
The safety of blood donors and Carter staff members is top priority, and the number of donors on each bus is limited. Staff and donors are required to wear masks.
Visit carterbloodcare.org or call 817-343-1327 for more information. Wilshire’s Parish Nurse, Linda Garner, may be reached at 214-926-1125 or lgarner@wilshirebc.org.