Blood drive wants to raise low levels of blood supply

Car accidents are just one of many reasons why blood is needed on a daily basis to save lives, according to San Diego Blood Bank official Marno Bridgwater. She shared one particular case with KSWT.

“At the time he used the blood he was in junior high and was in a car accident with four other students going to a school dance and his parents were told after the accident four times that he was not going to survive. They pumped a hundred and seventy-five pints of blood through his system,” Bridgwater said.

The Blood Bank, Pioneers Memorial Hospital and City of Calexico announced on Tuesday a city-wide blood drive this week.

“We need to bring in 400 pints of blood every day to meet the demands of the hospitals that we serve. And it impacts everybody in the community. If there isn’t blood on the shelves, we can’t supply the hospitals and it could be you, family members or friends that have a need. And if the blood isn’t there, it could impact their survival,” Bridgwater said.

Calexico Mayor Maritza Hurtado said blood donations saved her life and a relative’s at one time.

PMH CEO Larry Lewis said donating blood must be done before emergencies happen.

“When there’s somebody in need there’s no time to donate then. It’s the idea of let’s plan to donate,” Lewis said.

He said blood supply levels are critically low nationwide.

“Every two seconds in this country somebody else needs a blood supply,” Lewis said.

They want to raise a minimum of seven hundred pints at the event on Thursday, taking place at Calexico Community Center from 12 noon till 5 p.m.

“Take the time now because some day you might be the person who needs that blood,” Lewis said.

Hurtado said if it wasn’t for people donating blood, she and her family member might not be alive today.