SAN ANTONIO — Seventh grader Ava Lopez found out she had leukemia last October. Her fathers Nicholas Lopez says they were on a family outing when Ava said she wasn’t feeling well, and she just got sicker.
“It was a life changer. Like everything went from her playing and going out and hanging out with friends to nothing at all,” Nicholas Lopez said.
Saturday's blood drive at Coke Stevenson Middle School was in honor of Ava. The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center says more and more blood drives are happening now as the number of people with coronavirus has gone down, and people getting vaccinated has gone up, but that’s not enough. Blood supplies aren’t keeping up with the need.
“We’re seeing an increase of almost 20% to 35% from our hospitals,” Roger Ruiz with the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center said. “We have probably about a day and a half of overall blood supply.”
When it comes to certain blood types like O-negative and O-positive, they have less than a half days supply.
“That’s critical because those O-positive and O-negative blood types are what’s used in an emergency,” Ruiz said.
To get the blood supply back up, the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center needs 600 donors a day, which is why blood drive events like this one are so crucial.
“I did it while I was in the U.S. Army, I donated blood all the time and now I see why. All of the little children we see need it. You don’t know how important your blood is. Everybody needs it,” Nicholas Lopez said.
Ava Lopez recently turned 13. She wasn’t able to celebrate her birthday with her friends because she is receiving treatments and can’t leave the house. But with more and more people donating blood maybe Ava, and others like her, can celebrate a healthy and happier birthday next year.
For those interested in donating blood, The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center is hosting upcoming blood drive events at Dub Farris Athletic Complex:
Monday, April 19, 2021
1:00 pm - 06:00 pm
Tuesday, April 20, 2021
8:00 am - 1:00 pm
8400 North Loop 1604 W
San Antonio, TX 78249