The Trinity River Campus recently hosted a Carter Blood Drive, an event aimed at encouraging blood donations from students, staff, and the public.
Mobile supervisor Mandie Muniz emphasized the importance of blood donations, highlighting the constant demand and low supply, which make every donation potentially lifesaving.
“We always need blood,” Muniz said. “Our goal is 25 units(liters).” “We see it every day where people get into car wrecks or suffer physical trauma where they can lose a lot of blood.”
She acknowledged that some people feel hesitant to donate, but emphasized the impact even one donation can have.
“Donating blood saves lives. Every donation, about one liter, has the potential to save up to three lives,” Muniz said.
She also provided insights into the donation process, which typically takes around 30 to 40 minutes. Donors must be at least 17 years old (or 16 with a consent form) and weigh at least 110 pounds.
“We have trained staff who are in charge of drawing the blood, which takes about 10-15 minutes, then we provide the donors with snacks, drinks, and a place to recover after the blood is drawn,” Muniz said.
Some prospective donors may feel hesitant, especially if they have a fear of needles, but many still find it rewarding. That was the case for TR student Santiago Martinez.
“I am donating blood today because it’s a good thing to do,” Martinez said. “I’m not the biggest fan of needles, but anytime you have an opportunity to help people out, I believe you should pounce at that chance. You never know what kind of positive impact you can have on someone’s life by doing selfless things like this.”
Thanks to participants like Martinez, the Carter team was able to collect 22 of the 25 units they aimed for, which Muniz was still pleased with.
“It’s a good day,” Muniz said. “We fell short of our goal, but anytime you can collect as much blood as we did, you leave here happy.” “I can’t wait for the blood to get sent out to hospitals around the area where it can do some real help”
For those interested in donating, the Carter team will hold additional drives at TCC, with upcoming events at Trinity River on November 13th from 9 am to 2 pm in TRCF 2503 & 2505 and South campus on November 20th from 9 am to 11 am in the SSTU living room. With a statistic from UC Davis Health noting that every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood, these drives contribute to a vital resource that can save lives not only locally but nationwide.
