Blood donations needed to replenish a holiday drop in supply

There is a reason January is designated as National Blood Donor Month. During the holidays, donations drop off because of celebrations, respiratory season and cold weather. As we begin 2025, Dr. Leslie Greebon, medical director of University Health’s Transfusion Services, says we have a “tight” blood supply and our donors will be critical in guaranteeing we can meet all needs.

That’s why we rely on loyal donors like Caroline and Lamar Garrett. Lamar, 80, has been donating every eight weeks since age 22. That’s more than five decades of helping to save the lives of others by giving blood! Caroline joined him in donating when they married in 1991.

As the home to South Texas’s only civilian Level I trauma center, University Health is the largest transfuser of blood in the Greater San Antonio area. We also require a stable and ample blood supply for transplant surgeries, women with excessive bleeding during childbirth, heart procedures and cancer treatments. University Health works closely with our regional blood bank, but it cannot fill all of our needs. We count on donors like the Garretts.

The Garretts are scheduled to donate again on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 9:30 a.m. and are available to talk with reporters about their longtime commitment to giving blood.

They hope to inspire others to do something many of us can do – save lives by donating blood. A single donation can help three people.