Eric Swanson of The ADA News reports that without the help of blood donors, Tierney Roberts might not be alive today.

Donated blood helped Roberts for the first time in 2010, when she was injured in a two-vehicle wreck on state Highway 19. She suffered serious but not life-threatening head and facial injuries and was airlifted to OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City for treatment.

In December 2014, Roberts, an East Central University student, developed an E. coli infection that turned into hemolytic uremic syndrome. Blood donations helped her recover from the disease.

Those two experiences reminded Roberts that blood donors can save lives, she said Wednesday.

“For those people who are scared of needles, it is really not that bad,” she said. “When you think about it, it doesn’t hurt hardly at all. It’s a small needle, and it takes, seriously, like 10 minutes. It’s definitely worth it.”

Three Ada-based employers — the Chickasaw Nation, Mercy Hospital Ada and People’s Electric Cooperative — are teaming up with the Oklahoma Blood Institute for a blood drive in Ada.

The seventh annual Ada All-American Blood Drive will take place from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. today at the Pontotoc County Agri-Plex Convention Center, 1710 N. Broadway. Healthy people ages 16 and older who meet certain requirements are encouraged to participate.

For more information or to make an appointment, call 1-877-340-8777 or visit www.obi.org.