HCC holds blood drives to save lives

Mar 3, 2017

Houston Community College (HCC) students, faculty and staff rolled up their sleeves during three blood drives at the West Loop, Gulfton and Stafford Campuses. Their donations will help ensure the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center has a healthy supply of blood for our community.

The three HCC Southwest College campuses provided the blood center with 70 units of blood. Community members also participated in the blood drives and donated to the center.

“Twenty percent of our blood supply comes from students,” explained Patricia LeBlanc, the center’s donor recruitment director. “HCC offers a diverse population, usually resulting in various blood types critical for the center to assist the community.”

Blood drives are held every semester at HCC Southwest College to help the center keep up with the high demands of helping cancer, anemia and surgical patients.

Cancer patient Eva Silva, an HCC faculty member, donates blood as often as she can. “I’m lucky to have survived cancer, so I know the importance of giving the gift of life,” Silva said. “I know that if something goes wrong during a procedure, there needs to be enough blood on hand to save lives.”

HCC is on track to hold more blood drives throughout 2017. “Students should give blood because it's important to pay forward your good fortune, which is your health,” said Bruno Saldana, an HCC ESL student.

The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center serves more than 170 hospitals and healthcare institutions in the 26-county Texas Gulf Coast, Brazos Valley and East Texas regions.  

HCC plans to continue the partnership with the blood center in hopes of giving the gift of life to as many people as possible in the Greater Houston area.