JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Brooke Army Medical Center officials are urging the Joint Base San Antonio community to donate blood as part of Blood Cancer Awareness Month and Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month in September.
The center's patients, including children and active duty service members who are battling cancer, rely heavily on blood products for their treatment.
Army Maj. (Dr.) Kristen Romanelli, Medical Readiness Battalion Bravo Company pediatric hematologist-oncologist at BAMC, highlighted the urgent need for blood donations.
“Chemotherapy can cause severe suppression of the bone marrow, leading to critically low blood counts,” she said.
Chemotherapy affects the body’s ability to produce blood, making transfusions essential.
“We need blood products to perform life-saving procedures and manage bleeding risks,” Romanelli said. “Platelet transfusions are especially crucial for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of treatment.”
Cancer diagnoses are more prevalent than one may think.
“One in 285 children will be diagnosed with cancer before turning age 18,” she said. “More than 1,000 active duty service members receive cancer diagnoses annually. We cannot perform essential procedures without blood products.”
Blood donations can be the difference between a child having a future or not.
Right here at Joint Base San Antonio, an active duty service member’s daughter, Coral, age 10, knows the importance of blood donations. Coral was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at three years old.
Reflecting on her time going through treatment, she acknowledges that her family’s lives would be different if not for the available blood that was in her chemotherapeutic journey.
“I wouldn’t be here playing with my little sister if it were not for blood donations,” Coral said.
The Armed Services Blood Program, South Texas Blood Program, and the Red Cross are key partners in supporting BAMC’s blood supply.
“Your donation can save lives,” Romanelli said. “Healthy adults can make a significant impact by donating blood, platelets, or plasma.”
The Armed Services Blood Program is hosting a Blood Cancer Awareness Month blood drive from 8 a.m. to noon on Sept. 19, 2024, at the JBSA-Fort Sam Houston Military and Family Readiness Center inside the Blood Mobile van. Walk-in donors are welcome.
Donations are also being accepted at the first floor of the Capt. Jennifer M. Moreno Clinic, building 1179, from 5 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 17, 18, and 20.
To schedule a donation, visit the Armed Services Blood Program website at https://health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Health-Readiness/ASBP. Every donation plays a critical role in supporting cancer patients and ensuring they receive the necessary care.
For more details, visit https://www.health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Health-Readiness/ASBP or your local blood donation center.