By Raphael Grollmus '12
On Tuesday, April 3, Badin High School held its annual blood drive. The event took place in the Pfirman Family Activity Center and was coordinated by Mrs. Collins. Nearly 100 pints of blood were donated to the Community Blood Center, which brought its mobile units to Badin.
Requirements to donate blood are that you have to be 16 years or older, weigh over 110 pounds, and have to have a signed permission slip from parents. Also, a senior who has donated blood three or more times will be have the prestige of wearing a red cord over their graduation gown.
There is a 4-step process one must go through in order to give blood.
Step 1: Registration – one must have a photo ID ready to show and if this isn't their first time giving blood they should also have a blood donor card, which will help speed things up.
Step 2: The donor will go through a mini-physical and review health history to make sure that there are no complications. They will answer questions about past and present health, and all this info will be kept secret so there is no need to worry. The mini-exam determines if you are able to donate by checking temperature, heart rate and blood pressure. Also give a drop of blood to determine hemoglobin levels. Hemoglobin is a red protein responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood of vertebrates.
Step 3: At this station the donor is simply be asked to drink a bottle of water prior to donating.
Step 4: At last the donor has passed all the tests and is finally ready to give blood. They sit/lay on a gurney next to other donors, are asked a few more questions and then extend their arm. They are also given a ball to squeeze, this is just to help keep the blood flowing smoothly. The whole donation process takes about 10 minutes. Lastly they are bandaged up and told that here are some snacks waiting for them to help replenish their energy.
Once finished they are advised not to do any strenuous lifting or activities.
Blood donation is a great thing because our bodies are naturally replacing blood cells all the time. You help ensure blood is on the shelf when needed, most people don't think they'll ever need blood, but many do. You will be someone's hero, you could help save more than one life with just one donation.
