The Community Blood Bank came to Cathedral Preparatory School on Tuesday, March 21. The purpose of their visit was to notify all students and teachers of the importance of giving blood. Various stories were shared of times when blood donations saved someone’s life.
One example was when a 23-year-old male was going to his college class early one morning and he had a bloody nose. He said how he had had bloody noses in the past, so he didn’t think much of it. However, this particular bloody nose lasted around an hour and a half. He went to the doctors and was diagnosed with leukemia. This man thanked the Blood Bank for all of the blood transfusions he was able to have. He said that he had so many transfusions that he lost count. He is now healthy again today.
A second example of someone saved by the donations to the Community Blood Bank was of a very young male infant who had a blood clotting problem. The parents were told that their child was not going to live very long. However, thanks to the Community Blood Bank, the child is alive and well today, and currently three years old.
The Community Blood Bank also attempted to address the three main fears that some people have when going to donate blood. The first of these fears was being afraid to donate. The Blood Bank said that you should not be afraid to donate, and made it easier to understand the entire process of donating blood by braking it down into four steps for giving blood. The second fear that the Community Blood Bank addressed was a fear of needles. The presenters told us to all pinch the skin in between our thumb and pointer fingers for three seconds, and told us that this was about the same pain as the needle prick. The final fear that the Community Blood Bank addressed is the fear of fainting. However, they said that fainting could be avoided as long as the donor drinks lots of fluids and eats a full meal less than four hours before giving blood.
Overall, the Community Blood Bank gave a very informative and persuasive presentation as to why more students and teachers need to donate. Erie is currently facing a blood donation shortage and needs the help of its citizens. Giving blood saves lives.
The next blood drive will be held on April 25.