Incidents that occur such as car crashes, robberies, and diseases like anemia can lead to extreme blood loss.  In order to save the lives of these people, blood donations are vital for transfusions.

“Each donation can save as many as three lives. Whatever the patient needs, whether it’s a cancer patient, a car accident, and surgery. there a lot of different uses that can be done with that blood,” radiology teacher Dr. Damian Artho said.

In some cases, donations are sent out for help to places that have been hit by natural disasters.  South Texas Blood and Tissue Center provides a large portion to the state of Texas, allowing blood to be readily available to other states for emergencies.

“The [STBTC] takes the blood and uses it as needed,” Artho said. “Recently, with the hurricane in Florida, they sent some units there for assistance.”

Eleven million blood components are transfused every year in America, with 300,000 of these donations coming from South Texas.

“Judson is usually one of the highest donations in San Antonio,” Artho said.

The medical interns play a big role in organizing the Blood Drive. The responsibility of creating the event, switching between the radiology, dental and CNA internship programs.

The interns help donors with the sign in process, assisting them from the donations buses, and finally to the recovery room for food and snacks to recharge.

“Radiology had more shifts than the other internships this time around, but they’re all needed,” Artho said.

Nationally, donations are at their lowest in more than 30 years – less than 4% of U.S. citizens donate blood each year. In order to help the depleting number, Judson holds a donation event three times a year.

The October donation collected 187 units. Hopefully, the next two donations in January and April will collect just as much, if not more.