The Time is Now...Donate

Heather-Marie Tiffany, sophomore at Virginia Tech, has given blood five times. “It’s not horrible,” she said. “It’s the best way to give back to the community because essentially, that’s a life [saved].”

The lives she is referring to include men, women and children who are dying because the demands for blood donations are more than the amount given per year.

In fact, according to 56 Facts About Blood and Blood Donation, in the United States and Canada alone, an individual will be one of 4.5 million who are anxiously awaiting to receive a blood donation, yet out of this number, only “43,000 pints of donated blood is used everyday.”

Charitable organizations, like the American Red Cross, are dedicated to help fight against these odds. However, this can only be accomplished through community involvement. As their mission statement says, the American Red Cross “depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission.”

The Montgomery-Floyd Chapter of the American Red Cross will be holding a blood drive on Monday, Nov. 9 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in 1100 Torgersen Hall on the campus of Virginia Tech University.

Those who are in need of a blood transfusion have usually loss blood due to complications during surgery, internal bleeding, or disorders like sickle cell anemia. By having one person give one pint of blood, he/she will be saving three lives.

According to a medical technician, who wishes to remain nameless, there are not enough donations to meet the needs of each specific blood type, especially type O. In fact, based off past blood drives she said, “Only about 25 percent of those who do give blood end up having Type O.”

In order to give blood, one must first meet the standard requirements. These rules include: he/she must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, as well as be relatively healthy. According to Tiffany, “The first time [donating], I was really, really nervous and scared of the needle, but afterwards I felt better because I found out I could save three lives.” Overall, the actual procedure of having her blood drawn only took about ten to twelve minutes, but the procedure took about an hour.

Those who are hesitant to give should not be doubtful because the process is painless and does not require much of one’s time. Also, one will be able to give back to his/her community while saving lives.

Potential donor Jasmine McKinney said, “I feel scared about giving blood, but I’m willing to do it because it’s for a good cause.”

In short, one should definitely not hesitate to give, because the time is now…donate.