SAN ANTONIO – At this time last week, the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center already had blood on the way to Uvalde to help the victims of the school shooting at Robb Elementary.
Community members are continuing to step up and help out, but the organization says they are still not at the levels they would like to be at.
“Unfortunately, just living in this current day and age, you hear and you see a lot of the trauma,” Lillian Jeffs, an area nurse, said.
Jeffs knows first hand how valuable blood donations are, and how easy the process is to help out.
“It took me like seven minutes to come in and donate blood, and then I’m done. Quite possibly it can save a life,” Jeffs said.
In the aftermath of the shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center was ready to respond.
“What can we do? We know we need to get blood. This is the fourth time that we’ve actually had to do it and be part of a mass shooting here in South Texas. And we knew the process of what we had to do as far as making sure there was enough blood to assist, in any way we could,” Roger Ruiz, with South Texas Blood and Tissue said.
And since news of the shooting and the victims, there has been an increase in blood donors.
“We saw an outpouring of people wanting to come in and donate. Not here just in San Antonio, but in the Uvalde area,” Ruiz said. “We saw over 2,500 donors come through our doors here in San Antonio and in other areas.”
It Is a quick and easy process to get set up to donate. A lot of community members have already helped out over the last week or so, but levels are still not where they need to be.
“Ideally, we would like to have a seven day supply to adequately supply all those hospitals that we serve in those communities. Like I said, it’s 48 counties, over 100 hospitals and clinics that South Texas serves,” Ruiz said.
And as for Lillian, she said she donates every eight weeks, doing what she can to make sure there is enough blood to help in whatever lifesaving situation comes up.
“You do it to help others. That’s just like whatever else they may give you, a T-shirt or a gift card. You do it to help,” Jeffs said.
If you would like to donate and help out, you can do so by clicking here.