Father Joe Carroll, one of San Diego’s nonprofit leaders and Medal of Honor recipient, underwent surgery Thursday for complications with diabetes.
Father Joe is most known for his outreach programs for the homeless community in San Diego like Father Joe’s Village, which houses just under 2,000 people any given night, according to its website.
In January, the San Diego Blood Bank put out a call for donors to give blood ahead of Father Joe's pending surgery.
“We don’t always think of regularly scheduled surgeries like my own as needing blood,” said Father Joe.
The San Diego Blood Bank is encouraging the public to donate in Father Joe’s name. Able donors must be at least 17 years old (or 16 years old with parent permission) and weigh over 114 pounds.
Father Joe continued, “When I found out blood needed to be available for my surgery, it struck me that I wanted to make sure there was enough blood to not only meet my needs, but the needs of our entire community.”
Those eligible can call (800) 469-7322 to sign up to donate at any San Diego Blood Bank center.
