On Wednesday, November 7th FWE hosted our very own Blood Drive with the help of the American Red Cross staff in Portland, TN. We had 17 employees participate in the blood drive yesterday, in 2018 alone we have donated 76 units of blood. we’re so proud of everyone who gives to this great cause.

The blood that has been donated will be used during blood transfusions that are given to patients in a variety of circumstances such as serious injuries, surgeries, childbirth, anemia, blood disorders, cancer treatments to just name a few. The American Red Cross ensures that your donated blood “journeys through many steps and tests that ensure [their] blood supply is as safe as possible and helps as many people as possible”.

Your willingness to donate blood helps save people’s lives every day, lives like our teammate, Brandon Justice. Brandon shared his survival story with us regarding a car accident that resulted in life-threatening injuries back in October 2017.

“Life Flight transported me to Vanderbilt and they had to give me two units of blood during the flight. At Vanderbilt, they did emergency reconstructive on my leg and I had to have another seven units of blood during my operation. While I was in the hospital recovering, I required teo more units of blood. Thanks to volunteer blood donors, there were 11 units of blood available when I needed it.”

Brandon not only gave blood during FWE’s drive yesterday but encouraged many of his fellow coworkers to donate, too. Helping those who need it is a big part of the culture here at FWE, we proudly encourage our team to give back when they can. If you are looking to find a blood drive near you, go to the American Red Cross page and type in your zip code where the “Find a Blood Drive” is located in the top right-hand corner. You can also apply to host your own blood drive, just like we did at FWE.