Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and Donate Blood

Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center Spreads Awareness for a More Diverse Supply of Blood

Sep 19-23, 2022

Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. We are honoring the many Hispanic donors, volunteers, employees, and partners who support our mission to save lives. The Hispanic community is crucial in helping build a more diverse blood supply for patients.

National Hispanic Heritage Month started in 1968 and was initially observed for a week. In 1989, Texas native President George H. W. Bush extended it for a month. The month celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Houston has one of the nation's largest Hispanic populations. Around 2.2 million Hispanics call Houston home. Researchers have found that nearly 60 percent of the Hispanic population has the universal Type O blood, which hospitals most frequently request to treat a range of patients, from trauma victims to premature babies. Of all blood donations, 19.5 percent come from racial or ethnic-minority donors, making the need for a diverse blood supply even more important.

Patients are more likely to find a blood match among donors who share the same demographics, such as Ezra Chavez, 6, who still relies on blood donations for his treatment. At just three years of age, Ezra was diagnosed with Pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and is undergoing chemotherapy to treat his disease. Ezra has had two blood transfusions since the start of treatment in 2019 and hopes to ring the bell and be cancer free soon. Blood donors keep this loving, caring, and spontaneous boy smiling.

Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is proud to partner with our Hispanic community. National Hispanic Heritage Month is from September 15th to October 15th. Join us in celebrating by donating or hosting a blood drive. Please visit giveblood.org for more information, or for Spanish, visit giveblood.org/Espanol/.

Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is the sole provider of blood and blood components 24/7 to more than 170 hospitals and health care facilities in a 26-county Texas Gulf Coast region. Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is a nonprofit organization and is accredited by the Food and Drug Administration. For more information or to help save lives, visit giveblood.org.