Aerin Johnson
Staff Writer
Statesmen Ambassadors will sponsor a blood drive on Dec. 7, in the Resource Center. Last year they collected a total of 57 units of Blood. Nineteen percent of the people surveyed in the school have given blood before.
The Statesmen Ambassadors hold this blood drive every year to help Mercy Hospital. Statesmen Ambassadors hope to raise 90 liters of blood this year. Mercy Hospital uses the blood to help with blood shortages and to help save lives, said social studies teacher Jenni Vanderwalker.
“They could be accident victims, cancer patients, someone undergoing surgery, or the tiny babies in the neonatal intensive care unit,” said Mercy’s website about how the blood is used.
On Oct. 1, a blood drive was held at Bristol honoring Caleb Nehring, who died due to Rhabdomyosarcoma, a malignant soft tissue tumor, according to “Webster-Kirkwood Times.” It has been held for the past four years on the anniversary of his death.
NHS usually holds the fall blood drive. However, this year the leadership class doesn’t meet in the spring, so Statesmen Ambassadors and NHS have switched.
To give blood one has to be at least 17 years old and have an ID. The student has to weigh at least 110 pounds, have eaten breakfast and lunch. Also if a donor plays a sport, then he/she has to give in the morning and take it easy during practice.
“You can’t if you’ve recently had a tattoo or been out of the country to certain locations that the hospital has a list of,” Vanderwalker said. Students who don’t feel well shouldn’t give blood.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also has some guidelines for giving blood. If someone has taken certain medications or has AIDS or HIV they should not give blood. If a person is a male whose had sexual contact with another male since 1977 or have had sexual contact with anyone like that they should not give blood as well. If someone has been in juvenile detention, lockup, jail or prison for at least 72 hours in the last 12 months he/she shouldn’t give blood.
Many think this is a student council blood drive, but “This isn’t a Stu Co blood drive, nor has it been for the last five years,” said Vanderwalker.
