EVHS Prepares For Fall Blood Drive
By: Erva N. Coskun & Yashas Omprakash
Perhaps you’ve seen the posters around campus: “Donate Blood!” “Blood Drive!” “Save Lives!” But what does it all mean? EVHS Red Cross will be hosting a blood drive from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 29th. We interviewed one of the Red Cross presidents, Quynh Tran, to get the details.
The Red Cross Club is a student-led organization that focuses on “supporting the American Red Cross’s mission through activities like organizing blood drives, raising awareness about the importance of blood donation, planning first aid lessons, and encouraging students to give back to their communities,” Tran explains. The club began hosting blood drives over a decade ago and continues the tradition today with a Fall Blood Drive and a Spring Blood Drive every year.
While some may be nervous at the thought of donating, Tran assures us that this feeling is completely understandable, especially if it’s your first time having blood drawn. She elaborates on the safety of this procedure: “The blood donation process is handled by trained professionals from the blood collection organization. Before donating, each person goes through a registration process and a health screening to make sure they're eligible. The actual donation involves using a sterile, single-use needle and collection equipment, which helps prevent infections. A typical whole-blood donation takes about eight to ten minutes, although the entire appointment usually takes around half an hour.” To further ensure safety, donors are monitored throughout the process and “Red Cross staff are there to answer questions and help [donors] feel comfortable.”
Why donate? It helps save lives. Unlike medical devices or prosthetics, blood cannot be manufactured; hospitals rely entirely on volunteer donors to treat patients in need. Tran highlights that just one donation could potentially help multiple patients, as “whole blood can be separated into red blood cells, platelets, and plasma, each of which serves different medical needs.” Those needs may be red blood cells for patients experiencing blood loss from an accident or surgery, platelets for those undergoing cancer treatment, and plasma for patients with certain bleeding disorders such as Von Willebrand Disease.
Yet, before the blood can help anyone, it must first get to them. Tran explains: “After collection, donated blood is tested, processed into components, and distributed to hospitals and healthcare facilities.” From there, the needed components and blood types are matched to patients. Blood types – a genetically inherited trait – are determined by the presence of antigens, which can trigger an immune system response if foreign to the patient's body. This is why cross-matching blood types is so important.
So how can people get involved? Interested donors can sign up through the form, which is accessible through the club’s Linktree or the QR codes posted around campus. Those who are unable to donate themselves can spread the word to eligible friends, family members, or teachers.
Tran also teases future opportunities: “We’re planning some very exciting educational events and first aid training sessions for our members. More details coming up soon!” For those who are interested in joining, Red Cross Club meets every first Thursday of the month in Ms. Taylor’s room, B114.
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