As the nation counts down to America’s 250th anniversary, Central Texas is spotlighting residents making a difference in their communities, including Tom Wheeler, a volunteer driver with “We Are Blood” who helps ensure donated blood reaches patients in need across the region.

Wheeler spends at least one day a week racing against the clock, transporting blood between donation sites and the organization’s main processing center on North Lamar.

“I’m one of these people that loves to drive,” Wheeler said.

Inside the facility, Wheeler prepares for the day’s route by loading insulated containers used to safely transport donated blood.

“So I’ll get the empty ice chests and load them in the vehicle,” he said.

From there, he hits the road, traveling to cities including Llano, Taylor, Lockhart, Bastrop, and sometimes closer routes like Round Rock… depending on where supplies are needed most.

“My job is to come in, get a vehicle, drive to wherever the blood needs to be picked up and bring it back,” Wheeler said.

Once collected, the donations are rushed back to the “We Are Blood” facility, where processing must happen quickly to preserve their lifesaving potential.

“There’s a need for it in our community,” he said.

The urgency is constant. Blood must be returned to the main location within four hours.

“Blood is a very vital precious resource, and you can’t delay the delivery of it,” Wheeler said.

For Wheeler, the mission is deeply personal. His connection to blood donation began years ago after his late wife went through a health crisis.

“She required a heart transplant about two and a half years into our marriage, and I really saw the need for blood and I’ve been a regular donor for years,” he said.

That experience inspired him to go beyond donating and into volunteering as a transporter when he learned the organization needed help on the logistics side.

“One time when I was donating I saw that they needed transportation specialists and that was right up my alley,” Wheeler said.

Now, every trip he takes represents more than just a delivery route…it’s part of a life-saving chain he knows personally.

“I’m just happy that I get to do it, I feel like I’m helping out and I know they’ve helped me out in the past,” he said.

For Wheeler, the work is simple but meaningful.

“I’m just like a little, vital part of the whole system,” he said.

And that system, powered by donors and volunteers alike, continues working quietly behind the scenes – keeping hearts beating across Central Texas.