Collegedale Academy hosted their regular blood drive on September 9, 2024. Throughout the day, students donated blood in the Blood Assurance bus parked in front of the school building. For students who have never given blood before, here’s a quick overview of how that process goes!
Students must be at least seventeen years old to schedule an appointment. Once inside the Blood Assurance bus, students must answer a series of questions about their health history. They are then checked for iron levels, body temperature, and blood pressure. If their answers and test results confirm that they are eligible to donate, the student is then connected to a machine through a tube inserted in their arm. To help the blood flow faster into the bag, the student squeezes a stress ball every few seconds. The student also lies down and is given drinks and snacks to keep their electrolyte levels up. Afterwards, they must wait eight weeks before donating again.
According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC), someone in the United States needs a transfusion every two seconds. One donation can help up to three patients – “people of every age including premature babies, oncology patients, trauma victims and surgery patients, among others,” according to the Blood Assurance website.
Blood donation has other benefits in addition to helping others. Students who donate blood at least six times over their years at CA receive a “Cord of Courage” graduation cord. They can receive a double cord if they have donated at least ten times.
Adalberto Garcia, a junior, decided to be a part of the blood drive this year. “I think that it’s a good opportunity to…do something for the greater community,” he explained when asked why other students should consider donating blood. “Even…the blood from one person goes a long way…[Because] there’s apparently always a low supply of blood…It’s just an easy way to help out the community, [because] you never know when you might be the one that needs it.”
CA’s next blood drive will be held on January 22, 2025, followed by one on April 9.
