In partnership with Rex Healthcare, the Athens Drive Health Science Academy (HSA) held its first bi-annual, school-wide blood drive of the year Oct. 29 to bring awareness to the state-wide demand for blood and introduce the opportunities young students can award others by donating.
First-year Athens Drive teacher Jennifer Hulsey took on the job of coordinating this year’s blood drive as the Director of HSA and as the Career Development Coordinator.
“This year’s blood drive ran extremely smoothly … it was very well received by both staff and students and was one of the most organized drives Rex has held at Athens in years,” Hulsey said.
The Academy set a goal of 120 donors, falling short by seven people, but was still able to collect over 80 pints of blood for the local community.
“It’s a very simple and straight-forward process. Twenty minutes of your time can save the life of another,” said Brian Cadwallader of Rex Healthcare who has helped organize school blood drives for the past five years.
Health Science student-leaders Tyler Parker, Sarah Chiavacci, Bailey Harward, Dana Shefet and Rachel Snyder worked alongside Rex healthcare professionals the day of the blood drive to ensure its efficiency and the donor’s comfort.
“We play movies and music on the bus. You also get free soda, cookies and a snack of your choice during and after the process,” Harward said.
Blood that is collected from the donors is delivered to a central healthcare facility in the Raleigh area. When the need arises, agencies and hospitals in the community are able to request blood from this location.
The slogan, “Donate and save three lives,” as seen throughout school posters advertising this fall’s blood drive in the weeks leading up, emphasizes the idea that the one pint of blood a donor gives, out of their eight, can save the life of as many as three others through transfusion. Traumatic injuries, surgeries, ulcers or certain types of anemia that cause substantial blood loss may result in the need for a blood transfusion in which donated blood is replaced or added to the blood supply of a patient suffering from applicable conditions.
“In today’s society, everyone plays such a huge role when it comes to making tomorrow a better place. Whether it’s donating food, blood or clothes to those who are in need, they are all such simple things we can do to help,” said Luis Roman, senior and second-time blood donor.
To qualify as a blood donor in North Carolina, students must be at least 17 years old and have appropriate iron levels the day of donation, which can be obtained by staying properly hydrated and nourished in the days leading up to a donation. Students may be disqualified from giving blood if they have conflicting medical histories or have travelled to at-risk countries, information that is reviewed the day of donation confidentially with a healthcare professional from Rex.
“High schools make up about 20% of our blood supply, so without them our national and local blood supply would definitely be in jeopardy,” Cadwallader said.
HSA plans on having the school’s second blood drive of the year April 14.
“Giving blood is something that not many students are exposed to as high schoolers. To introduce them to the opportunities it can award themselves and others early on is important so that they continue to give throughout their life,” Parker said.
