Carter BloodCare celebrates blood donors during National Hispanic Heritage Month

DALLAS – FORT WORTH (Sept. 14, 2026) — Carter BloodCare is recognizing and celebrating Hispanic and Latino blood donors in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

Medical professionals with the Texas-based nonprofit note the Hispanic community has the highest percentage of people with blood type O. This enables Hispanic donors to support most patients who need lifesaving blood transfusions.

Blood type O is essential because it can be transfused to any individual, making it the universal blood type. This is particularly important in emergencies, when a patient’s blood type may not immediately be known. O negative is the only blood type used to treat premature and unborn babies as well.

It is important for the available blood supply to reflect the scope and richly diverse backgrounds of the entire community. This can ensure appropriately matched red blood cells are ready to support patients with related, inherited conditions.

A closely matched blood component is needed for patients that require multiple transfusions, like those living with sickle cell disease. The inherited blood disorder occurs in 1 of every 16,300 Hispanic births.

Hispanic Americans make up 40.2% (11.6 million) of the Texas population (29.1 million), according to the U.S. Census.

About National Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month — Mes nacional de la herencia hispana — is annually observed from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 in the United States. The celebration honors the extensive contributions, achievements and history of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

The observation started as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson in 1968. Twenty years later, it was expanded by President Ronald Reagan to cover a 30-day period starting on Sept. 15.

This starting date is significant because Sept. 15 is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Also, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.

About Carter BloodCare

Carter BloodCare is an independent community blood center providing transfusion resources in 59 counties of North, Central and East Texas to support more than 225 medical facilities. The nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization is one of the largest blood programs in Texas, delivering more than 450,000 doses of blood and blood components annually to meet the medical treatment needs of local patients. Services include collection, processing, specialized laboratory testing, storage and distribution of blood and blood components, as well as cellular therapy and clinical apheresis. Tu centro de sangre comunitario.