Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare Associates Giving Back By Giving Blood

When the unexpected happens, we expect blood to be available to us, our loved ones or even our patients in times of need—it’s just there. Whether it’s something minor or major, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which a blood bank or hospital does not have enough blood on hand to help those in need.

On July 27, 2026, the American Red Cross announced a national blood supply crisis, which is only the second time the organization has made such a declaration in its 145-year history.

To help meet the need, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare is setting up pop-up blood donation centers across its facilities throughout the month of August to help encourage donations that will increase the supply available to our community and across the United States.

This unprecedented call-to-action has encouraged MLH Associates to roll up their sleeves and donate their blood—blood that could one day make its way back to the very people they help heal and care for.

Associates have already started to answer the call to help and serve the community like they have so many times over the course of this system’s more than 100-year history.

Director of Dialysis Travis Hilton had no shortage of reasons to donate. He’s been donating for 20 years and has no plans to stop.

“I feel like God puts it on me to do this because it's easy and it's helping,” he said while sitting in a lounge chair tethered to an apheresis machine to make his donation.

“I'll get an email saying, "Hey, we just shipped your blood to the Children's Hospital." That's really cool to hear, because I’ve got three kids of my own. So, if something ever was to happen to them, I'd want them to be able to have the same thing done for them,” Hilton said.

Hilton’s cousin has required blood transfusions the past and his father has been in motorcycle accidents relying on donated blood to help him heal.

“I also drive motorcycles, so there's a chance I may need blood for myself one day,” he added.

But he also said he does it for his patients that he helps each day.

“I'm the dialysis director, and a lot of our patients require blood, because they just don't produce the right things to make blood,” Hilton said, underscoring the selflessness that so many Associates are putting on display during this blood drive.

For JoAnn Franklin, who is a Foundation/Humanitarian Coordinator, she just wants to play a small role in helping save a life.

“I watched the news and I saw that there is a shortage in the United States for blood, and I hadn't heard of a shortage in a while” Franklin said.

That news story struck such a chord that she started asking about it when she got to work.

While seated in the reclining chair making her donation, she’s said this was her first time successfully donating blood. She tried to donate previously, but the phlebotomist couldn’t access a vein for her to donate. So, on this day, she was anxious but excited to participate.

“From talking to my president at the foundation, she told me that we were—Methodist— was also going through a shortage, so I didn't know that our hospital was in need also. So, that helps to know and to know that I'm helping someone,” she said.

There are three main components that are utilized from donated blood: platelets, plasma and red blood cells. Just like any other organic material, blood has a shelf-life and a relatively short one at that.

Ibrahim Mohamed, Technical Director, Transfusion Services/Cellular Therapy for MLH shared some insight on how quickly those resources can expire and become unusable for patients.

“We receive [platelets] anytime with a shelf life of 1 to 3 days,” Mohamed said. He added that for plasma, it needs to be used within five days if it’s been thawed from a frozen state.

When it comes to red blood cells, most of them are good for 42 days, he said. “By the time we get them, mostly under 30 days.”

Those timelines are something that’s always true when it comes to blood but is absolutely exacerbated by a national shortage. There’s a sense of urgency and pressure to ensure there’s enough supply when the need arises all while the available blood supply is being used up rapidly.

Archie Drake, who serves as the senior vice president of the entire MLH system and president of Methodist University Hospital, knows this and leads by example when it comes to donating blood.

“I'm a nurse. I am an RN and I went to nursing school straight out of high school. So, wherever I have ever worked as a nurse, I participate in the blood drive with that blood vendor,” Drake said.

As Drake started to roll up his sleeves, he named off all the different vendors and non-profits he has donated to throughout his career, reinforcing how important this act of kindness and generosity is to him on a personal level.

“I just think it's part of being a healthcare provider” Drake said. “It's a way we can contribute. Always done it.”

When Drake does his rounds around MUH, he sees how much of a need blood is for not just MLH, but for healthcare facilities across the country.

“I visit patients all the time and it's not uncommon when I'm in the step-down unit or the ICU and I'm visiting families to see blood hanging. So, I'm seeing firsthand what it's doing,” he said.

Everyone’s reason for donating is different but ultimately, it’s our humanity that leads us down this altruistic path.

If you don’t get an emotional lift or spiritual boost after you donate, you just might find one with the variety of post-donation snacks that are usually offered up to donors to expedite their recovery process.

Most donors are donating around a pint of blood, which is close to 10% of your body’s blood supply. So, rehydrating and having a snack will help give your body some immediate nutrients to bounce back and finish your day.

Drake’s go-to post-donation snack is anything salty. “Chips of some type is really going to be my thing,” he said.

Franklin said she was going a similar route.

“I see some Funyuns over there that I really want,” she said with a lighthearted laugh.

“I'm doing low carbs, so I don't eat any of that,” Hilton said with a chuckle pointing towards the table of cookies, chips and crackers. He added that he’ll likely just focus on rehydrating with plenty of water.

No matter your role at MLH, we know how the Power of One can change or even save a life. It’s safe, it’s easy and only takes a few minutes.

Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare is partnering with Vitalant for a quick and easy collection process. Donations have already taken place at Methodist Corporate (August 4) and Methodist University (August 5-6).

Blood Donations can be made on the following days and times in August:

Methodist North
Friday, August 14, 2026 from Noon – 3:30 p.m. in an Onsite Bloodmobile

Methodist Olive Branch
Wednesday, August 19, 2026 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Main Conference Room

Methodist Germantown
Thursday, August 20, 2026 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Pavilion Classroom 1

Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Tuesday, August 25, 2026 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Community Room