The need for blood donors in New Mexico | Healthy Living with UNM Health
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It takes 200 units of blood every day to meet the demands for sick and injured people here in New Mexico.
It took nearly half of that amount to save just one young man’s life recently.
“It’s probably one of the very worst times of my life,” said Brenda Murray, the director of environmental services at UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center.
With her role, Murray is no stranger to witnessing the many emergencies that bring patients through hospital doors. Nothing could’ve prepared for a phone call about her own son after he nosedived into a cement arroyo on a four-wheeler.
“We were told that he was transported via ambulance to UNM Hospital downtown,” Murray said. “At the time, we didn’t know the extent of his injuries.”
Doctors had to quickly remove a third of 24-year-old Joey Vigil’s liver after he suffered a serious liver laceration. A CT scan revealed more damage to a major artery connecting to the bottom of Vigil’s heart. Because of that, he went back into the operating room for a bypass.
“My son was on mass blood transfusion protocol,” Murray said.
“Occasionally, we get a patient who needs a couple of units because they had a cut that bled,” said Kenneth Spart, MSN, a nurse practitioner at UNM Hospital. “Often times, though, if it’s somebody that has a surgical emergency, those patients will get probably four issuings of blood. That is pretty average.”
Vigil received 74.
“Every time they would come in and administer another transfusion, I remember just saying to myself, ‘I am going to donate blood,'” Murray said. “I will be eternally grateful, not only for his care at UNMH, but everybody that donated blood.”
Vigil’s story is a common one. New Mexicans need blood transfusions for many reasons every day. They rely on blood donors to get them that.
Steve Crabb, a project manager at UNMH, talked about what is needed and how you can help, in the video above.