SAN ANTONIO — They say behind every door is an opportunity. For the doors inside the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center, that's an understatement. The refrigerator doors that line the Hospital Services room hold the blood supply for most of South Texas, and lately, they've been put to use.
"Demand is exceeding supply," Elizabeth Waltman, the organization's COO, told KENS 5 on Sunday. Earlier this week, the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center announced an emergency blood shortage. Officials said they have shipped 12% more blood to hospitals than they have collected this month.
"Without enough blood on the shelf, people will be limited in their ability to survive their trauma or medical condition," Waltman said.
It's also putting hospitals and doctors in tough positions, having to delay surgeries or transfusions due to the lack of supply. That recently included Samantha Aguirre.
"It was scary," she told KENS 5 on Sunday. "I lost about 2-3 quarts of blood, I needed that blood transfusion."
Aguirre is a breast cancer survivor who went in for a hysterectomy. Complications developed and she needed a second surgery, but was forced to wait as they didn't have enough blood for the transfusion or the surgery.
"They assured me everything was going to be fine, but at the same time, in the back of my mind, I'm like, 'is this going to be OK ?'"
Thankfully it was, but Aguirre worries about those who aren't so lucky as she encourages others to donate blood as soon as possible. "It can genuinely save lives," she said. "Help them live the next day to see their family."
The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center said they needed 2,400 units of blood by Sunday but so far they received about 80 percent of that.
They have about 60 blood drives scheduled this week. For more information, visit their website.
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