SAN ANTONIO –
    Did you know you can donate blood every 56 days, or up to six times in a year? The South Texas Blood & Tissue Center (STBTC) is thankful for the many committed donors who help replenish the blood supply.
    Take, for example, Una Russell. She admits she was “scared to death of needles” when she decided to face her fears and donate blood in 1977.
    She met a young technician named Sara Lopez the first time she walked into the center, which at the time was in downtown San Antonio.
    “I was so scared, but Sara worked me through that over a period of time, getting over the fear,” Russell says. "That’s what I really wanted to do, overcome that fear, and I knew the only way was to just go to the blood bank and make myself give that blood, try to figure out for myself ‘What am I really afraid of?’ But I was OK when Sara was there.”
    Thirty-eight years and 249 donations later, Una Russell has overcome her fears. And she still sees Sara Lopez just about every time she donates, though now only as a friend. Lopez has moved on to other jobs with the organization, but she’s still around.
    “They call me back there, and I see Una, and I’m happy,” she says. “I tell them to always call me when Una comes in.” To make your next donation, visit an STBTC blood drive near you this October.

Eagle Pass

CC Winn High School
Oct. 7, 2015
265 Foster Maldonado
Eagle Pass
9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Southwest Texas Junior College
Oct. 21, 2015
4003 US Highway 277 SE
Eagle Pass
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
    Donors must present identification. Anyone who is 16 years old and weighs at least 120 pounds (with parental consent form), or 17 years old and weighs at least 110 pounds and is in good general health may donate blood. All donors receive refreshments and a mini-physical, and are encouraged to eat before and after donation. Learn more about blood donation at www.southtexasblood.org.