You're Somebody's Type
As you walk around Uconn's campus, you may notice several signs along the sidewalks that says “Blood Drive” in big, bold, and red lettering. The University of Connecticut hosts blood drives, courtesy of the American Red Cross, throughout the year to help collect donations. In fact, there is actually a blood drive happening this week! It goes on from November 13th to November 17th. Students such as myself find many opportunities to partake in such large blood drives through the Red Cross Club, a service-oriented campus organization. What you may not know is that UConn is actually the number one supplier of blood in the state of Connecticut. Not only do we advertise, coordinate, and prepare for blood drives, but we also spread awareness about the importance of blood donation and work with community sponsors. These blood drives are very important because each donation can save up to 3 lives, and blood donations are especially valuable with everything that’s happened recently. With several natural disasters and mass shootings, people around the country are in need of blood. Hospitals are often short on rarer blood types as well, so any donation can make a huge difference to somebody’s life. There could be so many different reasons as to why someone would volunteeringly sign up to have huge needles put inside them, but at the end of the day, it all comes back to one simple reason, and that is helping out others. One of students that I approached during the blood drive has donated many times before said that the reason he donates is, “because I have an access of something that others need.” The average person has about 12 pints of blood in their system, and a typical whole blood donation safely allows you to donate a single pint. You might think, what could one pint possibly do? One pint of blood can actually mean the difference between life and death, and these pints of blood also add up from each person that decides to donate, so in the end it would make a huge difference! Your decision to donate could be the reason why someone somewhere is alive and healthy.
The blood drives are super easy to sign up for, and they are open to the public! So that means anyone is welcome to donate, even if you’re not a student or faculty. You can schedule an appointment online at www.redcrossblood.org, or in person at sign-up tables located throughout all the dining halls before each blood drive event. The blood drives are always located in Wilbur Cross’s Reading Room, and it’s typically from 11:00 AM to 4:45 PM. The donation process only takes 15 to 30 minutes, and there are also snacks and drinks provided for each donor - more reasons to donate! However, there are eligible requirements for donation because Red Cross can’t just accept any blood. The basic requirements include age, weight, and general health conditions. All the information needed can be found on the same website mentioned above. BUT, don’t be disappointment if you can’t donate, or you’re just absolutely terrified of needles. There are other ways you can help out! Besides from joining the Red Cross Club, another alternative would be to donate any cash or loose change you might have. During the hurricane, the Red Cross Club also accepted relief donations. If you’re interested, come be a part of something bigger! This is something that allows everyone to come together as one regardless of the different cultures and backgrounds. We’re all humans and we all share the same types of blood. I just wanted to use this opportunity to bring more attention to this topic because there’s no such thing as too much when it comes to donations. Just remember, there’s always a way that you can help the people in need, and you’re definitely somebody’s type!
