This week saw the ERHS blood drive led by our healthcare providers and ASB. The event took place on Tuesday, March 3, and saw dozens of Mustangs volunteer to save lives. As a reward, LifeStream gave away $10 In-N-Out gift cards to those who donated. Additionally, many donors chose a “double red” donation, which drew the same amount of blood but stored in different pouches to allow for more patients to receive the blood. This option took longer to complete, but was rewarded with two gift cards, a great incentive for many.
According to the Red Cross, 6.8 million Americans donate blood annually for about 13.6 million units, each unit being about 1 pint. Amazingly, each unit can be used to potentially save up to 3 lives. Each year, about 4.5 million Americans require a blood transfusion, with around 40,000 units used daily. This shows the urgency and importance of donating blood, and it puts into perspective how helpful the act of donating is.
“I’m very thankful for an opportunity to donate,” shared Evangeline Tsai, a biology and chemistry teacher here at ERHS. “My biology students are learning about blood types right now. So I figured it’ll be fun to also donate and then share with them and encourage them to donate.”
Tsai concluded by saying, “If students have the capability to donate, I would encourage them… Just try it. I know some students are nervous, but you can still try it. If you’re nervous, that’s okay.”
Daniel Ho, a sophomore and ASB member, also shared how he felt about helping lead this blood drive.
“It feels great. I feel honored to be part of this event and be able to organize such a good event for the community and give back.”
Ho continued by talking about how this volunteer work relates to his future profession. “I want to go into physical therapy… I would want to go to UCLA,” he said.
“It’s really amazing,” shared Fatima Kazmi, another ASB member and a junior. “I feel like we have a really big campus… we can make a really big difference, it’s just great to see… We’ve had people nonstop coming in.”
Like Ho, Kazmi has aspirations for healthcare, but is still weighing her options.
“I’m really interested in nursing, but I’m also interested in journalism… I really want to go to SDSU.”
A third and final student, who requested anonymity, also opted to share her view.
“I feel really honored, too. And I really like the people that would donate blood to the community. As David said, it’s a great way to give… And for me, I want to go into healthcare for animals, like a vet.”
When we hear about healthcare, we think of doctors and nurses, highly trained professionals, working at a hospital and curing patients. However, blood donation is one of the most vital gears in our healthcare system, and donors make that gear turn. Without donors, ordinary people who are not medical professionals, countless people’s lives would be at risk. So when we celebrate those who save lives, remember the many men, women, and even adolescents who volunteer to be one of those lifesavers.
