Park Center Senior High School; Brooklyn Park, MN, USA
On Friday, November 9th, Park Center's National Honor Society partnered with the Memorial Blood Center and held their annual blood drive. Every year, only about 5% of eligible donors actually donate blood of the 60% of eligible US citizens. Over the years, the supply have been decreasing as demands have increased. Every 3 seconds, someone in this world needs blood; someday, it might even be you. Statistics shows that over half of us will need blood in our lifetime. Wouldn't you like to know that there will be a supply of blood to save your life? It only takes about 10 minutes for the actual blood donation and only one pint to save three lives. Why shouldn't you donate? You could be the one to create miracles for many.
Almost anyone can donate blood, but there are a few guidelines. Donors must be at least 17 years of age and weigh 110 lbs or more. Also, there are some restrictions on when you can donate according to your travels outside of the United States. You can find these restrictions on the Memorial Blood Centers' website. The process to donate blood is so quick and simple. If you decide to donate blood, you can expect the following things. The first thing is registering. You will need to provide identification, so be sure to bring your driver's license or alternative form. The second thing you can expect is to have a mini-physical and an interview. The mini-physical consists of checking your pulse, blood pressure, temperature and red cell level. You will be asked some general questions about your health and medical history, your foreign travels, etc. The next thing is the actual blood donation. Donating one pint of blood takes about 10 minutes. The final thing to complete the process is to relax! You get refreshments and snacks to replenish your fluids.
Many people are afraid to give blood for the first time. Even if you may fear needles and blood, the trained staff will help you every step of the way and answer any questions you might have. If you still feel uncomfortable with giving blood, you can always stop the process of donating blood.
Many students at Park Center (those old enough) decided to donate their blood and here to share their experience and thoughts:
Brie Reginato is a senior here at Park Center. She wasn't afraid of getting her blood taken because this was her second time donating blood; she also donated blood the previous year. After getting blood drawn, Brie said she felt fine, but she did think she was going to faint. She believes that enough students who qualified donated blood this fall at PCSH.
Kong Moua, in 12th grade, had his first experience of donating blood this year. He decided that he would donate blood because it saves lives. He said he felt a little lightheaded afterwards and that it stung a little, but he was okay and it doesn't hurt. Kong believes that more people should have donated.
If you missed Park Center's blood drive, you can always go donate at another place. There are centers open all around the Twin Cities that you can go to if you decide you would like to donate. I encourage eligible and potential donors to donate blood, or at least give it a try. If you still have concerns about donating blood, visit the website.
