Last updated 3 months ago
"Heart disease takes the lives of far too many people in this country, depriving their families and communities of someone they love and care for—a father, a mother, a wife, a friend, a neighbor, a spouse.”
- Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
February is Heart Month, and unfortunately, most of us know someone who has had heart disease or stroke. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and cardiac patients are the number two users of blood and blood products. One in every three deaths is from heart disease and stroke, equal to 2,200 deaths per day. However, we as a community can fight back against heart disease and stroke.
Here are some Heart Health Tips:
- Be physically active for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.
- Know your ABCS:
- Ask your doctor if you should take an Aspirin every day.
- Find out if you have high Blood Pressure or Cholesterol, and if you do, get effective treatment.
- If you Smoke, get help to quit.
- Make your calories count by eating a heart-healthy diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables and low in sodium and trans fat.
If you are eligible to donate blood; you can also roll up your sleeves for local cardiac patients. Those interested in donating blood can do so at one of CBCC’s four donor centers or at a community blood drive www.cbcc.us/donate.
Last updated 3 months ago
When you donate blood The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas you are helping to save patients’ lives right here in our community. Fortunately we can share the stores of how your blood donations save their lives. Here is one of hundreds of the local lives that have been saved by blood donors like you.
As a wife, mother and owner of Lake Lynn Lodge in Concord, Michelle’s purpose in life is to care for others. Little did she know that one day she would have to rely on others for the most precious gift of all – life.
As Thanksgiving approached, Michelle found herself tired and lethargic – not from her normal busy pace, but something more. When doctors diagnosed her with Non-Hodgkins Mantle Cell Lymphoma, Michelle gathered her close-knit family at the Lodge to share the news.
She found herself in unfamiliar territory, on the receiving end of many prayers and offers of support. Michelle would not be outdone – before her first chemo treatment, she cut her hair and donated it to Locks of Love so that other patients could benefit.
Treating Michelle’s cancer required 8 rounds of chemo over 6 months. Each round included whole blood and platelet transfusions to restore her energy. Thanks to local blood donors like you, Michelle is preparing for the next step in her treatment, a stem cell transplant.
If you are eligible to donate blood; please show your support for patients like Michelle. Just 30 minutes can save up to 3 local lives. Those interested in donating blood can do so at one of CBCC’s four donor centers or at a community blood drive www.cbcc.us/donate.
Last updated 3 months ago
The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas (CBCC) is in the midst of its Fourth Annual ‘Pints for Pounds’ campaign to support Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. CBCC will donate seven pounds of food for every blood donation through February 29.
Since the ‘Pints for Pounds’ campaign began in 2009, CBCC has been able to contribute 130,398 pounds of food to help feed the hungry in our community. Since January 1, 2012, over 3,341 donors have rolled up their sleeves for local patients. Thanks to these amazing donors, we have been able to provide over 23,300 pounds of food to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, and we still have three more weeks!
"Our donors and sponsors are people who truly believe in the greater good,” said Martin Grable, president and CEO of Community Blood Center of the Carolinas. “They’re not only blood donors, they help eliminate hunger, all in support of community. Over the last three years, they’ve rallied to make this a huge success. We can’t thank them enough.”
If you are eligible to donate blood; please show your support for your community. Just 30 minutes can save up to 3 local lives and will help provide food to those in need. Those interested in donating blood can do so at one of CBCC’s four donor centers or at a community blood drive www.cbcc.us/donate.
Last updated 3 months ago
Congratulations to our two January Sponsors of the Month – Mt. Vernon Baptist Church and Helping Hands of Baxter Village.
Mt. Vernon Baptist Church usually sponsors one blood drive per year. However, when we called Mae Stamey, blood drive coordinator for Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, about the low supply of blood for our local hospitals, she was more than happy to help! Mae Stamey is a nurse at Gaston Memorial and sees how blood products save local lives on a daily basis. She worked so hard to spread the word throughout the community that we saw 36 donors, a new record for Mt. Vernon Baptist Church.
The Helping Hands of Baxter Village Blood Drive was a very special drive to this community because it was in support of two Baxter Village girls -13-year-old Justine Farinick Seibel and almost three-year-old Libby Kern. Justine was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia on September 17, 2010. Since then, she has received over 200 doses of chemotherapy, 55 blood and or platelet transfusions, six bone marrow aspirations and 20 lumbar punctures. Libby was diagnosed with an optic pathway glioma (a brain tumor of the optic nerve) on September 3, 2010 at barely 19 months old. Libby is undergoing a regimen of chemotherapy for around 60 weeks. With the coordination of Helping Hands and the entire Baxter Village Community – we saw over 175 donors.
Visit our page on sponsoring a blood drive if you are interested in helping us save the lives of local patients. For more information, call Kim Jones, Director of Sponsorship Development at (704) 972-4727.
Last updated 3 months ago
The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas (CBCC) is teaming up with UNCC’s 49ers Athletics to host the 7th Annual Homecoming Blood Drive on Thursday, February 9, 2012 from 10:00am-4:00pm at the Student Activity Center Food Court in Halton Arena. The UNCC Athletic Department wants to impact 120 patients’ lives and collect over 240 pounds of food for Second Harvest Food Bank, by having 40 donors roll up their sleeves for local patients!
As the primary blood supplier to the region, CBCC provides nearly 400 blood products every day to help patients being treated in area hospitals. While most people believe the need for blood is driven by disaster, the reality is more blood products are needed by patients in our local hospitals every day than has ever been required in response to any domestic disaster. All of the blood donated to CBCC is used here in our community to treat local patients.
If you are in the UNCC community on February 9th; please stop by to show your support for our community hospitals; just 30 minutes can save up to 3 local lives!
