What a Week
It’s been said that Texans have hearts as big as our state, and no other time is that more obvious than in the midst of a natural disaster. We have watched in awe over the last week as our community–and our country–have come together to support our extended family along the Gulf.
This one hits especially close to home. Not only do so many of us have friends, family members, and coworkers directly affected by Harvey’s landfall, but the devastation also met us right in our own backyard. The La Grange community saw extensive damage, and so many other Central Texans experienced extreme flooding.
Central Texas has also become a refuge for Harvey evacuees. Austin alone saw more than 7,000 people come in, with more expected every day. And our local hospitals have welcomed many patients who needed safety, shelter, and top notch-healthcare–including some of the tiniest affected by the storm.
From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank you for your selfless acts of giving this week. We’ve seen an overwhelming amount of support and donations. In fact, more than 400 people have come through our door almost every day this week, which is amazing–and about double the number we strive to see on an average day. We’ve also seen and heard from over 650 first-time blood donors, as well as donors who haven’t donated in years or decades. As a result, we were able to join blood centers across the country by sending our surplus blood to blood centers and medical facilities in Houston who were unable to collect blood for themselves in the midst of Hurricane Harvey.
It’s been an absolute honor, and truly impressive, to see our community come together to support our neighbors on the coast.
The Work Continues
We’re happy to say that as a result of the high volume of blood donations we’ve received, we are currently meeting our local supply need and we have received word that blood centers and medical facilities along the Gulf Coast have begun reopening. This means we have a much less urgent need for blood donors as our neighbors begin rebuilding and moving forward.
However, that doesn’t mean we don’t need you at all. As you probably know, blood has a shelf life of only 42 days, so the need for it will be ongoing and ever-evolving. To help us better control the number of donations we’re receiving, and to ensure that blood will continue to be available for those who need it in the weeks and months to come, we are encouraging anyone interested in donating blood to make an appointment online or over the phone–even if the next available appointment is 2 or 3 weeks out.
We recognize the need for blood donation feels urgent for many people hoping to help after such a devastating natural disaster, and it is our goal to be the very best stewards of the gift our community is giving. Spacing out donations by controlling them with appointments is the best way for us to do that, because it will help us ensure we have the supply to continue to support this 10-county region and those affected by Hurricane Harvey for many weeks to come.
THANK Y’ALL so very much for your support. We’ve never been more proud to be stewards of the only gift that truly comes deep from the heart of Texans.
We love you. Let’s keep banding together and show Hurricane Harvey that you really don’t mess with Texas!
