Saturday, September 28, 2024
LAKE WORTH —On Saturday Sept. 21, Terry Purdom hosted a blood drive called “Help Terry Give Back” at the Mary Lou Reddick Public Library from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The reason Purdom wanted to host a blood drive is because he expressed feelings of guilt for receiving blood transfusions for his leukemia treatments.
“I’m dealing with leukemia and its required me over the last several months to have quite a few blood transfusions and I’m laying there one day thinking, as I was getting the blood, I started feeling guilty cause I'm taking all this blood,” Purdom said. “I wanted to do something.”
Purdom said he reached out to a contact he had at Carter BloodCare and came up with the idea for the event. The City of Lake Worth let Purdom use its library and even a local QuikTrip helped by giving him goodie bags and cups to give out.
Purdom said his doctor told him he is not alone feeling guilt over taking blood transfusions. According to the American Red Cross, every two seconds someone needs blood or platelets and the average red blood cell transfusion is three units.
Delores Applewhite is a friend of Purdom’s who donated blood at the event. Applewhite said Purdom called to see if she and her husband would donate blood and said they yes with no hesitation.
“We only got one call and it was ‘would y’all mind?’ and I thought well what all he’s gone through, for God’s sake, for 15 years fighting cancer, yeah I can do this,” Applewhite said.
The event had 24 total participants, with 19 whole blood units collected and a grand total of 25 pints of life-saving blood.
The American Red Cross is currently experiencing a blood shortage across North Texas and the nation. For more information on where to donate blood, visit www.redcross.org or www.carterbloodcare.org
