Donating Blood to Save Lives
January 28, 2015
People often associate superheroes with saving lives. However, in real life, anyone donating just one pint of blood can save up to three people. On Feb. 11, Diamond Bar High School’s American Red Cross Club will be organizing a blood drive in the gym to help save the lives of many people.
Although seemingly simple, blood drives can help millions of people around the world. On the day of the event, all donors will be excused from certain class periods and go to the gym. Then, the volunteers will sign in with a club officer and proceed to a Red Cross nurse, who draws out the participants’ blood. A parent consent form is required for all students 16 years or under to participate in the drive due to school policy.
Students can contact any Red Cross member and obtain an informational form that lists requirements for participation. These requirements include having a picture ID, being in good health, and making sure one hasn’t recently taken antibiotics prior.
The donors will be asked to pass many tests which include having their height and weight measured and receiving a physical in order to find out whether the iron levels in the blood are balanced before they are actually allowed to donate.
“It is important donors eat and drink water before they donate,” Kelvin Pang, American Red Cross club president, said. “When you donate blood, you’re losing a decent amount of liquid. You want to stay hydrated and not malnourished.”
After the blood is drawn from all participants in the drive, the blood bags are sent to a Red Cross blood component laboratory. There, the blood is spun in centrifuges to separate the main components: red blood cells, plasm, and platelets. After being separated, each component is sent through a series of tests to determine if there are any infectious diseases within each unit. If so, the unit is discarded and the donor is notified. The units suitable for transfusion are labeled and stored in IV bags and kept at their separate temperatures determined by the contents until they are needed by a patient.
While donating blood is definitely helpful to the recipients, studies have shown that blood donations are also beneficial to the donors. Blood donations improve blood flow, resulting in lowered risk of heart attacks, strokes, and various cancers. According to World Health Organization, people who donate blood also tend to live longer lives have improved health.
“It is a great opportunity for students to save lives,” Jacqueline Zhang Red Cross club publicist stated via Facebook. “It’s also a fun event for volunteers who work [at] the blood drive and for officers to get to know their members more.”
