From 8:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. on Monday, November 6th, 2023, a special event will be taking place inside the Lake Shore High School Gym, a blood drive. This event will be hosted by Versiti Blood Centers and assisted by LSHS National Honor Society members.
This blood drive will be a step in the right direction, as all the blood donated will help those in need. Students can do so by scanning the QR code on the flyers that are posted around the school. This will take you to the Versiti Blood Center of Michigan – Donor Portal, which is located at https://donate.michigan.versiti.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/153646. After being directed to the site, you’ll then choose your slot, out of the 67 total available slots. Of those 67 slots, however, 52 (77.6%) have only 1 spot remaining. But, 91% (61/67) of them, are for people with whole blood, which means that the blood is drawn directly from the body and the remaining six of them are for people with blood that contains double red blood cells, which means that the donors will give double the amount of their red blood cells.
On top of all the health benefits, there are a myriad of other benefits. Some of these are included in an article by Grand Canyon University, located at the following site, https://www.gcu.edu/blog/gcu-experience/benefits-donating-blood, under the following article name, “The Many Benefits of Donating Blood” and published on Tuesday, June 13th, 2023. These benefits include that someone in the U.S. needs donor blood or platelets every two seconds, every day in the U.S., hospitals need 29,000 units of red blood cells for their patients, along with nearly 5,000 platelet units and 6,500 plasma units, just one victim of a severe traffic accident could require up to 100 units of blood to survive, trauma patients aren’t the only ones who rely on donor blood; cancer patients, sickle cell patients, and others also need donor blood to survive, and it is not possible to synthetically manufacture blood and platelets, a living person must donate every unit of blood given to a patient.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, altruistic acts such as donating blood can strengthen your own mental health and emotional wellness. It can reduce feelings of isolation, create a sense of belonging, and improve one’s outlook. It’s also safe for three reasons. The technician will check your health history to ensure that you don’t have a condition that could make it unsafe for you to donate blood.
You’ll receive a mini-physical exam before donating blood to ensure that you’re healthy enough to donate, and It’s impossible to acquire any infectious disease from donating blood because the technician uses a brand-new, sterile needle for each donor. No needles are ever used more than once.
This article reveals a bunch of eye-opening stats, and it sheds light on the fact that more people out there need blood than ever.
In addition, according to an article on the Mayo Clinic Health System website, https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/, which is titled “How blood donations help patients with cancer”, from Wednesday, March 29th, 2023, there are benefits to donating blood. According to the article, “Cancer patients need a lot of blood for many different reasons. Some types of cancer cause blood loss. For example, people can bleed internally if they have colon or stomach cancer. They need blood replacement for their bodies to function and help them feel well. People with blood cancer, such as leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma, require blood products during treatment. As these diseases progress, their bone marrow gets crowded out by cancer cells, and they can’t produce enough blood themselves. Donated blood products keep their organs functioning, provide strength and help them feel better. Finally, other cancers can suppress the production of blood or bone. Kidney cancer can change a person’s hormone levels, which decreases blood production. These patients benefit from getting blood transfusions during treatment.” In summary, patients diagnosed with certain types of cancer need blood for different reasons. This is because as the mentioned diseases continue to wreak havoc on the patients, their body begins to become crowded with cancerous cells. This then leads to blood production decreasing. So, donating can help keep that issue in check.
The article reveals that “People with cancer get many manufactured products, medicines and fluids as part of their treatment plans. Yet, unfortunately, blood can’t be created in a lab. Donated blood products provide proteins and clotting factors different from anything manufactured in a lab or designed in a pharmacy. Blood products are lifesaving and life-changing. The healthcare system relies on community members donating blood for patients in need.” “Platelets, which prevent or stop active bleeding, are critical to the health of patients with cancer. They prevent or stop active bleeding. Chemotherapy and radiation often suppress the bone marrow, so these patients can’t produce enough blood or platelets. Often, patients with cancer are weak, fragile and at risk of falling. Additional platelets can help stop bleeding and decrease the risk of bleeding after a fall.” In addition, this can assist cancer patients, “It depends on the type of cancer and if treatment requires blood. People with chronic blood disorders may indefinitely require two or three units a week. Patients with colon cancer may only need one or two blood transfusions over a short period of time. Some people with cancer need bone marrow stem cell transplants, which replace bone marrow entirely. These patients require many units of blood during their treatments. The important thing to remember is that many people with cancer require blood products at some point during their treatment, and the community often underestimates the need for these products.” In summary, donating blood can benefit Cancer patients, by allowing them to get access to items that they couldn’t get in a regular scenario.
This article brings information to the attention of the public that wouldn’t be revealed otherwise.
In summary, donating blood can make a difference, so if you’re eligible, please donate.