AUSTIN, Texas — On Wednesday, Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) medics reunited with a woman they saved back in March.
Alaskan native Morgan Walker was in Austin for surgery. While alone at her Airbnb, Walker experienced a hemorrhage from complications with her surgery.
She survived thanks to medics who were able to give her a blood transfusion before she even reached the hospital.
“I'll never forget the look on his face when he looked at the bed I was lying beside and asked if that was all my blood,” she said. “I don't think I'd be here today but for them. So I'm extremely grateful to Austin-Travis County EMS and to all Austin residents for making this program possible.”
The Whole Blood Program launched in 2021 and allows paramedics to carry blood on ambulances – that way they can start transfusions before they reach the hospital.
In October of last year, ATCEMS administered its 200th unit of blood in the transfusion program.
In the time since it launched, the program has expanded so more units can carry blood on board. Data last year showed 89% of patients who receive blood and are taken to the hospital survive to discharge.
“When a patient experiences a life-threatening hemorrhage, we are working against the clock. Rapid intervention on the scene can mean the difference between life and death,” Deputy Medical Director Dr. Heidi Abraham said in October. “With the ability to administer blood to patients near the time of injury, we are giving them the best possible chance of survival.”