HEALTH SCIENCES
Blood Drive saves livesBY SALKEAL TILLERY ON OCTOBER 18, 2013
Every year Rose has three blood drives, this gives people an opportunities to donate blood to the victims of accidents or patients that need blood. Everyday, Approximately 44,000 people need blood transfusions and every year approximately 30 million need transfusions as well according to the American Red Cross website. So donors are always needed and blood is rarely wasted.
This year health science teacher Angie Byrne directed the entire event with her students alone and it was sponsored by HOSA and the American Red Cross. “My entire class has volunteered during the blood drive,” Byrne said. “It is part of the Health Science curriculum” Part of the curriculum for Byrne’s class is participating in the blood drive, so this guarantees volunteers for the drive to help out and accommodate the people who donate their blood. “This is my sixth year planning the drive,” Byrne said. Organizing an entire blood drive single-handedly could be a lot of work, but Byrne has her class to help organize and make sure the event goes smoothly. “I organize the event myself but the easiest way teachers can help is to give blood themselves,” Byrne said. The event would mean nothing without the donors themselves, and for some people, it was a stressful thing to do; a lot of people said they were anxious about giving blood and taking a needle to the arm. “I was extremely nervous about giving blood,” senior Dylan Wainwright said. These people have moved past their fears to save as many lives as they can. On average, a single pint of blood is enough to save up to two adults and up to four children. Knowing this fact, some people donating blood see it as a responsibility. “My experience was good but I considered it my duty to give blood,” Wainwright said. Some people have given blood plenty of times before, but for others, this is was their first time saving lives. “I’ve never given blood before,” junior Katelyn Williamson said. “It’s awesome knowing that I’m saving lives.” Just knowing that they were saving lives is more than enough reason for some people to give blood; others received their inspiration to give blood from their family. “I have other family members such as my mom and my sister who have given blood,” senior Christian Pleasant said. There are plenty of reasons to give blood, but in the end the main reason people give blood is to save lives. This blood will be used for many purposes, the main purpose being to save people who are accident victims, cancer patients, surgical candidates, children with blood disorders and many more according to the American Red Cross website.- “There is a huge blood shortage in our area,” Byrne said, “So donating blood really does save peoples lives.” With blood shortages approaching, more and more people are needed to help out and donate blood. Pints are the basic unit for people who give blood. A single pint, on average, can save four children. On average Rose tends to donate between fifty and seventy pints each blood drive. The highest Rose has ever donated has been ninety-nine pints during a single blood drive. This blood drive wasn’t just an opportunity to save lives but also an opportunity to encourage others to help those that desperately need blood. In the end, Rose as a whole is doing it is best to save many lives as it can and hopefully this may encourage future generations to follow the example Rose has set. HTML Comment Box is loading comments...
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