On Jan. 24 in the Memorial Union, the Next Generation Service Corps mission teams 10 and 14 collaborated with the American Red Cross to organize a blood drive. Both students and members of the general public came in to donate.
The event came just in time for National Blood Donor Month. Blood donation is key to ensuring that those in need can receive blood transfusions, and it can be an easy and beneficial process for donors. There are many opportunities for ASU students to donate.
Why people donate
"You can see the blood in the bag, and you know that blood is going to go to somebody who really needs it," said Jay Rials, one of the blood drive planners and a sophomore studying biochemistry. Rials, who is himself a frequent donor, believes donating blood is an impactful experience for students because of the good it can do for others.
According to the National Institute of Health, about every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood, but only 3% of age-eligible individuals in the U.S. give blood each year.
Anabelle Baratta, a sophomore studying psychology, is a regular blood donor. She learned about the ASU blood drive through a text notification from the American Red Cross.
"It's not inconvenient for me and can help save someone else," she said. "I feel like the incentive is just doing good and trying to help other people."
Donating blood can also have positive incentives for the donor such as free snacks and prize drawings. At the time of the ASU blood drive, the American Red Cross had an incentive program that automatically entered donors to win a trip for two to the Super Bowl. The new incentive program that started on Jan. 27 now gives e-gift cards to donors.
What to expect
The American Red Cross has a simple and streamlined process for those with scheduled appointments as well as walk-in donors. The procedure for those with appointments is a quick check-in with an identification screening. Those without an appointment also have to complete a healthcare questionnaire.
From that point, a phlebotomist, a medical professional trained to draw blood, will test the donor's temperature, blood pressure and hemoglobin to ensure that the process is safe for the donor. If the medical screening determines that the donation is safe, then the phlebotomist will continue with the blood collection process, which takes approximately 10 minutes.
After the full donation is completed, the donor is required to stay under the supervision of the staff on location for around 15 minutes. Snacks and refreshments are provided to the donors. Barring any complications, donors are free to go about their business as soon as the waiting period has been completed.
Suvasini Subbaraman, a freshman studying biological sciences, donated blood for the first time at the Memorial Union event. Her experience was not the smoothest, but she emerged with a positive mindset.
"I told (the phlebotomists) that I get really lightheaded when I see needles going into my arm," she said. "They laid me down, put a cold compress on my head, and then they took my blood."
Despite her nerves, Subbaraman said she would donate at future events. "It's a good cause and I can always make back my own blood," she said.
There are certain practices that donors can use to help their donation go smoothly. Jamaica Gregory was the team lead phlebotomist at the Memorial Union blood drive. She said it is preferred that donors are properly hydrated for two to three days preceding the donation and have eaten a meal before.
Another practice that leads to a good experience is to schedule an appointment as opposed to walking in.
"The only challenge we have is walk-ins," Gregory said. "We got scheduled for the sign-ups, so we bring enough ice for those."
For potential donors, there are locations available all over the Valley through Vitalant and the American Red Cross.
Edited by Sophia Braccio, Sophia Ramirez and Katrina Michalak.
Reach the reporter at kagore1@asu.edu and follow @kategore_17 on X.
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Kate is a freshman studying journalism and mass communication. This is her second semester with The State Press.
