A donation is defined as the sacrifice of something to benefit and aid a cause. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. is in need of blood, according to the American Red Cross. Blood is not something that can be manufactured; there is no substitute for it. A human being is required to collect it, making blood an essential need that is not easily obtained.
Every year, students at LHS have the opportunity to donate blood through the Community Blood Bank. Students aged 17 or older (or 16 with parental consent) are encouraged to take a moment out of their day to make a simple, often life-saving donation. Taking around 15 minutes to fill out forms and for the blood draw itself, students leave with a little less blood, but their sacrifice changes lives. Blood transfusions are used for a wide variety of circumstances, such as car crashes, surgeries and even cancer treatment. Patients with sickle cell disease, for example, require multiple blood transfusions throughout the year. As a genetic blood disorder, sickle cell disease results in unusually shaped red blood cells, causing them to become stuck in blood vessels. This produces numerous issues such as anemia, fatigue and eventual organ damage. According to the Red Cross, donated blood must be very similar to the receiver’s blood type to avoid complications, raising the extreme need for blood donations.
The Red Cross states, “Supply can’t always meet demand because only about 3% of age-eligible people donate blood yearly. Each new donor helps us meet patient needs.” Given the high need, it is strongly encouraged that those who are eligible to donate do so to help others with complications. All types of blood are accepted, and each type helps meet different needs. Blood donation is a safe and sterile process, and there is no risk of contracting a disease or infection through transfusion. Within a few days, a human can replace all lost fluids, and after two weeks, all lost red blood cells can be replenished.
Not many donations can save lives as easily as a blood transfusion. To schedule a donation, visit https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=57105, and make a difference in your community.
