Stephens Memorial Hospital, Carter BloodCare to host blood drive on Wednesday, Jan. 7

January is National Blood Donor Month, and Stephens Memorial Hospital will host a blood drive with Carter BloodCare from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7.

The Carter BloodCare bus will be set up in the Breckenridge Medical Center parking lot at 101. S Hartford St. Blood donors can register online (click here) or register in person on Wednesday.

All donors will get a $25 e-gift card.

Carter BloodCare notes each unit of donated whole blood can save three lives. That is possible when the donated blood is separated into three components: red blood cells, platelets and plasma. With 1,600 units collected on an average day, Carter BloodCare donors help 4,800 patients in need daily, or 33,600 patients each week.

Blood donated locally with Carter BloodCare stays in the 57 North, Central and East Texas counties served by Carter BloodCare, including Stephens County.

Texas blood donors help children fighting cancer, mothers going through difficult childbirths, organ transplant recipients, open-heart surgery patients, older adults with age-related health issues, sickle cell disease patients, people hurt in life-threatening vehicle accidents and others with severe trauma injuries.

Residents can begin donating blood at 16 years old with parental consent; those 17 and older can donate independently. Eligible Carter BloodCare donors must weigh at least 110 pounds and feel well on the day of their donation. For more details about donating blood, visit the Carter BloodCare website.