One Pint; Three Lives

One Pint; Three Lives

Blood is a vital necessity to living. Every living human has one of the four main blood types (A, B, AB, O) and needs blood in order to live. Some of these blood types can be mixed; however, if some types mix, they can cause death and different illnesses. As a result, it’s very important to at least try and donate to save and help someone in need. 

Donating blood is such an important thing. It is underappreciated and needs to be done more. Everytime you donate, you give away one pint of your blood. With this pint of blood, you could potentially save three people. In my opinion, that’s an amazing thing. I think of it as twenty minutes of your time saving a lifetime for three different people. 

This is why I choose to donate at every blood drive. I’ve attended almost every blood drive since I was sixteen and eligible. Doing this makes me feel proud and important. I am happy that my health and a little time out of my day could potentially save three people’s lives

Donating blood is one of the most immediate ways that you can take action and make a change. The process is simple and not so time-consuming. When you first arrive, you sign in, write your name and time you’ve arrived. After that, if you have a Blood Donor ID card, you go straight to a computer, scan your card, and start answering the questions on the screen. If you don’t have a card, you meet with one of the nurses/volunteers and get a donor ID number so you can scan it onto a computer to answer the questions. 

After you finish those questions, you go to a cubical and get your iron, blood pressure and pulse checked out. If the doctor finds all of that to be in good condition, you proceed to the actual donating part. You would sit down on a stretcher and wait to be assisted. After a nurse comes, they verify your name and birthday. Then they would take your blood pressure again and clean the designated area that you will get the needle injected with a wipe. This is followed by the needle in your arm.

When this part gets done to me, I find it helpful to look away. You won’t feel it going in, but if you see it, you’re mind may take over and you’ll think that it will hurt. For the next 10-20 minutes you will just sit there with a needle in your arm. In the beginning, the nurse will take a few tubes of your blood; then after that you’ll just sit and the bag will fill up with your filling pint of blood. 

For the duration of time you can just sit back and relax. You can throw your headphones on and listen to music or sit and watch a YouTube video. Just remember you’ll only have one hand available for use. Once your bag fills up completely, the machine it’s connected to will beep. This informs the nurse that you’re done and ready to go. The nurse would come over and take the needle out of your arm, give you a gauze, and tell you to apply pressure to that spot of injection with your arm raised for a few minutes. 

After this, they wrap your arm, make sure you feel okay and inform you about the procedure for the wrap and how to stay healthy for the next couple days. Lastly, one of the fellow students would walk you from the stretcher to the refreshments table. These students and the nurse recommend you sit at this table for at least ten minutes to make sure you would be good for the rest of the day. While at this table, you enjoy cookies chips, water or juice.

Donating is something very important for doctors, sick people, and the loved ones of these sick people. This can save many lives as well as make you feel accomplished and like a helpful human being. Its a quick easy, and relatively pain-free process that I recommend. 

Next time there’s a blood drive, I hope you and your friends can take part of it and be a part of this change. Remember that one pint can save three different people’s lives! The next blood drive is at the high school on Thursday, November 21 from 8am to 4pm.