Blood can't be manufactured, stockpiled forever or replaced by technology. In "No Alternatives," Ashley Claster and Andrea Sign explain why donated blood remains essential to modern medicine and how everyday donors help save lives across Texas.
Blood can't be manufactured, ordered from a factory or stored forever. Every transfusion begins with a person willing to donate.
In this episode of Blood Type: Texan, host Ashley Claster sits down with Andrea Sign, Carter BloodCare's director of marketing, communications and donor relations, to explore why donated blood remains one of the few lifesaving medical resources with no substitute.
Ashley and Andrea discuss why Carter BloodCare needs about 1,600 donors every day, what happens when donations slow down, and why a stable blood supply depends on people showing up consistently throughout the year. They also break down how long blood products last, who depends on transfusions most often, and why the phrase "it's the blood on the shelf that saves lives" is more important than most people realize.
The conversation also highlights 11-year-old Daniel Wendler, whose ongoing transfusions help him live an active childhood, and the emotional moment he recently met some of the donors who help make that possible.
Whether you've donated before or have never been asked, this episode explains why there are no alternatives to blood donors.
1:20 Why every blood transfusion starts with a donor
2:35 The 1,600 donors needed every day across North, Central and East Texas
4:30 Why blood still can't be manufactured in a lab
6:28 What happens when donations slow down
8:30 Patients who rely on blood in ways most people never realize
10:07 What motivates people to become regular donors
12:37 What happens to your donation after you leave the chair
13:45 The biggest barriers preventing people from donating
18:11 What first-time donors should know before their appointment
21:13 Daniel Wendler's story and the emotional impact of meeting his donors
Schedule an appointment or learn more about donating blood on our website.
Carter BloodCare's Blood Type: Texan Episode 3 Transcript
Ashley Claster:
Welcome back to Carter BloodCare's Blood Type: Texan, the podcast that pulls back the curtain on the systems, people and emergencies that keep lifesaving blood moving across Texas. I'm your host, Ashley Claster, and this is our third episode.
When most people picture a blood bank, they probably imagine refrigerators, laboratories and complicated medical equipment. And all of those things are part of the process. But the blood supply doesn't begin with technology. It begins with a person choosing to donate.
So today we're talking about why blood cannot be manufactured or stockpiled indefinitely, what happens when donations slow down, and why patients across Texas depend on people in their communities showing up consistently.
Joining me again is Andrea Sign, Carter BloodCare's director of marketing, communications and donor relations.
Andrea, thanks for being back on Blood Type: Texan to help us explain why people are truly the foundation of the blood supply.
Andrea Sign:
I am happy to be here again today, Ashley. Thank you.
Ashley Claster:
So when people hear "blood bank," they're going to think of machines, labs and storage. But at its core, how much of the blood supply actually depends on people?
Andrea Sign:
Really, 100% of it does. It is a people-powered system. Every unit of blood that's transfused into a local patient begins with someone in our community choosing to roll up their sleeve and donate.
The labs, the testing equipment and the technology that you mentioned are all incredibly important, but they exist to protect and maximize the gift a donor has already given.
Unlike many other parts of health care, blood can't be manufactured in a lab or ordered from a factory. It only exists because people are willing to help complete strangers.
And to me, that's one of the most remarkable things about blood donation. Every day, our communities come together to make modern medicine possible.
Ashley Claster:
So how many blood donors does Carter BloodCare need each day just to keep up with patient needs?
Andrea Sign:
We need to see about 1,600 blood donors every single day to support patients across North, Central and East Texas.
To some, that may not sound like a lot, but when only 3% of the eligible population donates, there are days we don't even come close to meeting that need.
And I thought you would probably ask me about this, so I did go back and look at the last couple of days.
For instance, yesterday we only saw a little over 1,200 donors. The day before that, we saw a little over 1,000. And this past Sunday, we only saw 682.
The donations that we do receive have to help supply more than 225 hospitals and health care facilities in our service area.
Every day, those hospitals are caring for trauma patients. They're performing surgeries that need blood. They're treating cancer patients and responding to emergencies.
The important thing to remember is that patient need doesn't take weekends or holidays off. Every day begins with a new need for donors, which is why consistent participation from the community is so crucial.
Ashley Claster:
Wow. So we need 1,600 a day. The past three days, we never hit that. And on top of that, only 3% of people who are eligible to donate blood do.
Andrea Sign:
Yes.
Ashley Claster:
Oh, we've got some work to do.
Andrea Sign:
We do.
Ashley Claster:
So blood can't come from a robot? It can't come from a machine? Here we are in 2026, and as of right now, there still isn't any fake blood.
Andrea Sign:
No. Not except for Halloween decorations.
Ashley Claster:
So why can't blood simply be manufactured or even stockpiled long term like other medical supplies?
Andrea Sign:
That's one of the misconceptions we hear often because blood is a living biological product made up of cells.
And despite incredible advances in medicine, there still is no manufactured substitute that can fully replace donated human blood.
There are so many intricate details about blood that matter. It's not a one-size-fits-all situation, right?
You have all these different blood types. You have all these different antigens and all these things that matter. It's going to be very difficult for someone to produce a manufactured product right now.
Because we depend on people to donate, what we collect has a limited lifespan. Most people don't think about that or realize that red cells can only be stored for 42 days, while platelets, which are essential for cancer patients, expire after only seven days.
That means the blood supply has to be constantly renewing itself. We can't stockpile it.
Every donation helps replace blood that's already been used or is reaching the end of its shelf life.
Ashley Claster:
What happens to the blood supply if donations slow down for even a few days, like the last three days clearly have been?
Andrea Sign:
Really, we see it all summer long. Here we are in the midst of summer, right toward the end of July.
The challenge is that hospital demand doesn't slow down just because donations do. Patients continue needing blood every day.
So if fewer people donate for several days in a row, inventory begins to drop quickly.
Like right now. Again, during summer, donations are constantly low on a daily basis. We only have about a day and a half of inventory on our shelves right now, and it only takes one incident to wipe that out.
We are always working hard to balance inventory across hospitals, but prolonged drops in donations can put additional strain on the system.
Those strains can lead hospitals to postpone procedures so that blood will remain available for emergencies and for patients whose treatments can't wait.
That's why we encourage people not to wait until they hear about a shortage. The healthiest blood supply is built through steady, year-round donations.
Because, like we say, it's the blood on the shelf that saves lives.
Ashley Claster:
And we've talked about this on the podcast before. We know that if everybody lines up after a major emergency happens, that's not the blood that's going to be used in that moment.
Andrea Sign:
No. Again, it's the blood on the shelf.
Now, that's not to say those donations don't help, because they do. They help replenish the blood supply, and they will help patients in their long-term recovery.
But in the moment, it's going to be the blood that's already on the shelf.
Ashley Claster:
What kinds of patients depend on blood donations in ways that people might not immediately realize?
Andrea Sign:
Good question.
I think most people first think about accident victims and trauma patients, and they certainly need blood.
But cancer patients often rely on repeated transfusions throughout their treatment.
Some people living with sickle cell disease may need complete red cell exchanges every four weeks throughout their lives.
Mothers experiencing complications during childbirth or premature babies in neonatal intensive care units depend on blood products.
Organ transplant patients also depend on blood products.
I actually just visited with a family whose young son has beta thalassemia major, and he relies on blood transfusions every 21 days as part of his ongoing care.
I think this is what makes blood donation so meaningful. You're helping people across every stage of life during some of their hardest days.
Ashley Claster:
With that, Daniel was a cutie, and seeing him meet his actual blood donors was so impactful. I can't wait to talk more about that.
So what motivates someone to become a regular blood donor instead of just donating once?
Andrea Sign:
I wish I had a single answer, but I think there are many different reasons.
For some, it simply starts with stepping outside their comfort zone and making that first donation. Once they realize it wasn't as bad as they thought it would be, it becomes a habit because they realize how much good they can do.
We hear from many donors who have a personal connection, a loved one who needed blood or a friend whose life was saved by a transfusion, and that motivates them to donate.
And if I'm being fully transparent, there are going to be others who love collecting our T-shirts and other donor appreciation items. That's what motivates them to donate.
And as a quick reminder, a little plug, I want to remind our listeners that you can donate whole blood every 56 days, up to six times in a 12-month period; platelets every 14 days, up to 24 times within 12 months; and plasma every 28 days.
Ashley Claster:
And we do have great T-shirts.
Andrea Sign:
We do. We have lots of great donor appreciation items.
Ashley Claster:
Blankets are soft. Canteens are good. All of it.
Where can people go to see what our current promotion is or what they can get for their donation?
Andrea Sign:
All of our donor appreciation items are listed on our website at all times.
You can go there and search "promotions," and you'll be able to find all of them and see what you might want to get.
Ashley Claster:
And our website is CarterBloodCare.org, and you can go to donor appreciation items and click right there to see what we're offering now.
It's always something good, but also for the good of your community, too. I think that's both.
Andrea Sign:
That is the feel-good takeaway, right?
There's no blanket. There's no cup that's going to give you that feeling.
And while they're nice, my heart wants to believe that people are doing it to help others.
Ashley Claster:
What do most people misunderstand about what happens after they donate blood?
They get out of the chair. They never see that unit again. What do they misunderstand about that?
Andrea Sign:
I think many people imagine that their blood comes in, is stored somewhere and then somebody uses it when it's needed.
But there's actually an incredible amount of work happening behind the scenes.
Every donation is carefully tested, processed and separated into components like red blood cells, plasma and platelets.
You may have heard us say one donation can save three lives, and this separation of components is why.
Those components can all help different patients with very different medical needs, so that one donation may ultimately benefit multiple people.
By the time the blood reaches a hospital, it's undergone extensive testing and quality control to ensure its potency, purity and safety for patients.
Ashley Claster:
What are some of the biggest barriers that keep people from donating, even if they want to help?
Andrea Sign:
There's a lot of them because, like I said, only 3% of the eligible population is donating.
The ones that come to mind are just life itself. People are busy, and donating blood isn't always at the top of their to-do list.
Others are unsure whether they're eligible. Some worry about needles. Others may assume the process takes longer than it actually does, when a donation visit is about an hour, in and out.
Sometimes people don't realize blood is needed every day. They just assume somebody else is going to do it.
They might hear about shortages in the news, but they don't realize hospitals rely on continual donations, not just emergency donations.
I've heard the No. 1 reason people don't donate is that they weren't asked to.
So for those of you listening, this is me asking you to please donate.
Our job at Carter BloodCare is to make donating as convenient, welcoming and reassuring as possible so more people feel confident taking that first step.
And I do believe our staff does that.
Ashley Claster:
This is us asking you. If you've never been asked before, please donate blood.
Just that they haven't been asked? Yeah. Very interesting.
So let's talk about the bigger picture now.
What do you wish more people understood about the blood supply that they probably never think about?
Andrea Sign:
That's a tough question.
I wish people understood that the blood supply is really a reflection of the community. And again, every hospital depends on neighbors helping neighbors.
Every transfusion represents somebody who took the time to donate before a patient ever needed it.
The system works best when people donate consistently throughout the year instead of waiting until there's a crisis.
I wish people could see what we see on a daily basis and truly understand the need.
I love my job, and I think every employee you talk to here at Carter BloodCare sincerely believes in our mission. That's why they're here. That's why they come to work every day.
But it's a fight. It is a fight every single day to make sure we have enough blood on the shelf, enough of all the different components and enough of the different blood types.
I just wish people understood that the phone calls, the emails and the text messages are because we are truly fighting to save lives and make sure blood is on the shelf when a patient needs it.
We never want a patient to be told, "Sorry, we don't have your blood type right now."
Ashley Claster:
That all comes down to Texans helping Texans, right?
Andrea Sign:
Yes, exactly.
Like we've talked about this entire episode, it begins with people and ends with people.
Ashley Claster:
Wow.
So if you're listening to this podcast, you have officially been asked to donate blood, so that can't be your excuse anymore.
What would you tell someone listening right now who has never donated blood before? What do you want them to know about their first blood donation?
Andrea Sign:
I'd tell them not to let the unknown keep them from doing something extraordinary.
I'd also tell them to hydrate and eat a good meal before they donate.
I would like them to know that the donation process is safe and highly regulated. When they come in, let the team know it's their first time, and they'll walk them through every step.
Like I mentioned earlier, the actual donation typically only takes about 10 minutes for whole blood, and the entire visit is usually about an hour.
Most first-time donors tell us afterward that it was much easier than they expected.
I'd also like them to know that when they leave, they're going to know they've done something that very few acts of kindness can match.
Donating blood has an incredible impact. For just one hour of your day, it's a way to make a lasting difference in someone else's life.
Ashley Claster:
Can you elaborate on how it's an impactful act of kindness? I've never heard you say that before.
You could wear a certain color shirt to support a cause. You could donate money. But this is physically donating a part of your body to somebody who actually needs it.
And you are going to save somebody's life.
Andrea Sign:
Yeah.
Where else can you do that?
Like you said, we can show our support through financial donations, donating food to a food pantry or wearing certain colors.
Ashley Claster:
Or a social media challenge.
Andrea Sign:
Yeah, but where else can you literally save another human being's life?
Ashley Claster:
Certainly not after work on a Monday or whatever.
That's a really special opportunity, I think.
Andrea Sign:
Yes, it is.
And if you think about it that way, if you think about the life you're going to save, the little boy who relies on those transfusions every 21 days, or that mother who just had a complicated childbirth and wants to be there to hold her newborn baby and watch that child grow up, or that cancer patient who is already going through enough, giving a little bit of yourself to help them through that journey...
How can you say no to that?
Ashley Claster:
And then your body will naturally replenish it. You won't even be missing it, right?
Andrea Sign:
No. It'll come back.
Ashley Claster:
At all.
Andrea Sign:
It'll renew, and you'll have more to give next time.
Ashley Claster:
Fifty-six days.
Andrea Sign:
Every 56 days.
Ashley Claster:
Before I let you go, let's bring it back to Daniel Wendler.
He's 11 years old. Every 21 days, he gets a transfusion.
Last week, we had a super emotional event where he got to meet some of his blood donors. The blood donors got to see who their blood ended up helping.
That's something we've never done here.
Andrea Sign:
I think they did it years and years ago here at Carter BloodCare, but I didn't get to be part of it, and I've been here 13 years.
It was special.
Not only was it moving for Daniel and his family and for the donors, but it was moving for our staff, too.
We see what we do each day, and we know we're helping people. It's our mission.
But seeing the two parts of our mission come together was something special.
We had one of our phlebotomists there, and afterward, he said that moment changed his life.
He already knew our mission and knew he was doing something worthwhile, but to truly see it with his own eyes was unforgettable.
Ashley Claster:
And for Daniel's parents and the donors, that must have been such a special moment, don't you think?
Andrea Sign:
Oh, yeah.
Donors come in and give their time and blood.
Maybe they get a text message from us that says, "Your unit just saved a life in Dallas or Tyler or Waco or wherever it was sent."
But to actually see where your blood is going and to see this young man thriving, to see his beautiful smile and hear his laughter, and to know he was headed to baseball camp that week...
Just knowing those donations give him that ability.
Who could tell that little boy no?
Ashley Claster:
He gets to have a regular, wonderful life.
He has so much energy, and the people around him are impacted because of his actions.
This is such a ripple effect. You're saving one person's life directly, but then all the ripples that happen afterward.
It's absolutely incredible.
Andrea Sign:
Yeah. We could talk about it forever.
Ashley Claster:
We could.
Andrea Sign:
I have goosebumps right now.
Ashley Claster:
I know. How do I always have goosebumps on this podcast?
Andrea, thank you for helping us show the human side of the blood supply.
Behind every laboratory, delivery vehicle and hospital transfusion is a volunteer donor who made the entire process possible.
The need for blood isn't limited to major emergencies or moments when shortages make the news.
Patients need blood every day, and maintaining a stable supply depends on people donating consistently.
New episodes of Blood Type: Texan come out on the first Friday of every month.
To learn more about donating blood or to make an appointment, because we have officially asked you, visit CarterBloodCare.org.
I'm Ashley, with Andrea. Thank you so much for listening to Carter BloodCare's Blood Type: Texan.
We'll see y'all next time.