River Region hopes the season of giving is perfect time for blood drive

Published 3:42 pm Tuesday, December 31, 2019

The holidays are traditionally a time for giving, and with that in the mind, officials at the Merit Health River Region hope area residents are in the spirit to give — give life.

The hospital has scheduled one of its blood drives for Friday, beginning at 10 a.m. in classrooms A through D. The hospital is located at 2100 Highway 61 North.

“With traveling and being busy this time of year people just don’t seem to give,” said Josh Hammons, executive director of the hospital’s cardiopulmonary lab.

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By using the sponsor code VICKSBURG, appointments can be made at redcrossblood.org.

Walk-ins are also welcome, Merit Health River Region Marketing Director Leigh White said.

“For those who work and need a specific time, they can schedule an appointment through the website,” White said, as well as complete some of the required paperwork.

And for those who may be on their lunch hour, it is ok to just drop in, she said.

All donors will receive a t-shirt.

According to the American Red Cross website, someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds and one blood donation can potentially save up to three lives.

And while it is easy to give, Hammons said a lot of people think donating blood is painful. It’s not.

After a few general questions are asked and your temperature, blood pressure and your hemoglobin level is checked, a staff person will have you either sit or lie down if criteria are met. They will then clean an area of your arm and a new sterile needle will be inserted to draw the blood.

According to the American Red Cross’ website, it takes about eight to 10 minutes for whole blood donation.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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