Following a mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas that killed at least 14 children and one teacher, a large blood bank in San Antonio, Texas, rushed 25 units of donated blood to the small town of Uvalde. Now, South Texas Blood and Tissue is asking the public for more donations.
In a statement, the organization said it sent 15 units of low titer O whole blood, which is used in emergency situations because it can be transfused on-site or in an emergency vehicle, to Uvalde via helicopter. After receiving a request for more, they sent an additional 10 units of O negative blood to a hospital in Uvalde late Tuesday afternoon.
The organization has already planned a Wednesday blood drive at Uvalde’s Herby Ham Activity Center and is encouraging people to donate blood in their area.
“We will continue to work with hospitals in the area to make blood available as it’s needed and to rebuild their supply for other patients in need,” the organization said.
In a Facebook post, South Texas Blood and Tissue said it only has 26 units left, and it is asking for help ahead of the holiday weekend to make sure they have enough. The organization made the plea on the Brothers in Arms Facebook page, which is a program for type O-positive male donors.
University Health, a large hospital system in San Antonio, is also encouraging people to help the victims of the shooting by donating blood.
The Uvalde Memorial Hospital previously said it received 13 children from ambulance and buses for treatment, and that two people who arrived at the hospital were dead. A second hospital said it is caring for a 66-year-old woman and a 10-year-old girl, both in critical condition. Another hospital said it was caring for two adults, both also in critical condition.
