Give the "Gift of Life". Donate Blood.

The Texoma Regional Blood Center will be conducting a blood drive at North Texas Medical Center in Gainesville on Friday, April 18, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The drive is sponsored by NTMC and the Gainesville Kiwanis Club. The public is invited to participate.

Requirements for donors include these:

--Donors must be at least 17 years of age. No upper age limit.
--Donors must weigh a minimum of 110 pounds.
--A donor must not have had: Hepatitis (Any type of hepatitis or jaundice, other than at childbirth, is a rejection); active tuberculosis; malaria (Prospective donors who have had malaria, lived in a malaria area or have had malaria treatments are deferred for three years); rheumatic fever, heart disease, liver disease, shortness of breath, persistent cough or chest pain; bleeding abnormalities or blood disease.
--Diabetic donors are acceptable if the diabetes is controlled by diet or oral medication. Donors requiring insulin injections are deferred.
--Other deferments may come from: recent cold, sinus or respiratory infection; active allergies or asthma; recent shots, vaccinations or inoculations; recent major surgery; unexplained weight loss; stomach ulcers, certain medications, extensive travel and living in specific overseas areas, i.e., the United Kingdom, Africa, etc.

A complete list of donor selection criteria is available from the Texoma Regional Blood Center, but the basic requirement is simply general good health.

The Texoma Regional Blood Center serves the comprehensive blood needs of the citizens of Cooke, Grayson, and Fannin counties. Founded in 1975, its sole purpose is to provide the quantity and quality of blood and blood components needed in this region.

North Texas Medical Center is a member institution of the blood bank and supports it regularly with blood drives for its employees and the public.

The Texoma Regional Blood Center affords citizens the opportunity to participate in a community blood program that benefits not only themselves, but every person in the region.

For more information on the blood drive, contact Gayla Blanton, Director of Community Relations at NTMC, 940-612-8373, or any Gainesville Kiwanis Club member.