Purchase Blood Drive: Every Drop Counts
- 28m
- 3 min read
By Tia Porter
For the past few years, a national blood shortage has been plaguing hospitals across the U.S. Those who can donate are strongly encouraged to do so, and when The New York Blood Center (NYBC) set up a blood drive on campus, many took the time to donate.
“I’m donating because I think that giving blood is a good way to give back to the community,” said Elizabeth Patrone, a sophomore majoring in creative writing. “It’s necessary for helping people out, you know?”
The blood drive was held at The Stood on Feb. 11 and Feb. 12. Four blood-drawing stations were set up, each with a chair where donors could lie down during the process. A few NYBC employees were working to monitor blood collection, all while keeping the students as comfortable as possible.
One of these employees was Mohammad Chhipa, who has worked at countless blood drives held by NYBC. While at Purchase, he moved from donor to donor, checking on their energy levels and making sure the process was going smoothly for everyone.
“We always need blood,” said Chhipa.
As a community-based blood supplier, NYBC has set up similar blood drives across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
“I’ve been working for the company about 29 years,” said Chippa. “I like my job. I love my job.”
Anyone willing to donate only needed to bring a valid form of ID and have enough nutrients in their blood for the process to be safe. Iron levels are checked before donating because if blood is drawn from someone with low iron, their body will have a more difficult time maintaining its strength and creating new blood cells.
“They wouldn’t let me give blood last time,” Patrone said. “I didn’t have enough iron in my blood, but I’m back again for the old college try. I think that it’ll be worth it to see if I can do it again.”
Patrone had previously tried to donate blood while they were in high school, but due to an iron deficiency, they’d been turned away. In addition to Patrone, the blood drive attracted both new and returning donors who wanted to help the community.
“I feel good,” said Colette Merlis, a junior majoring in screenwriting and playwriting. “It’s my first time donating, and I was nervous that I would be a little woozy, but I’m fine right now. I have my cranberry juice.”
After donating, Merlis sat at the snack table. This is where chips, cookies and bottles of juice had been left for donors.
“You’re supposed to eat something when you’re done giving blood, so you don’t pass out,” Merlis said. “The next six hours you’re not supposed to do heavy exercise or lift heavy, and we were given a pamphlet on how to treat low iron, which is gonna happen following the donation.”
The donation itself only took about 10-15 minutes, which gave Merlis plenty of time to ease back into the rest of his day.
“It was really easy, it was pleasant, people should donate blood if they can,” Merlis said. “We’re in a blood shortage now, so it’s really important to donate.”
Another student, with a history of donating blood, also took the opportunity to help save lives.
“I’ve donated maybe three or four times before this,” said Maren Ward, a sophomore majoring in printmaking. “I did it in high school a couple of times.”
Ward noticed one of the signs advertising the blood drive a few days before the event and decided to donate. Before arriving at The Stood, he made sure to eat breakfast and drink some water, so that he wouldn’t be donating on an empty stomach.
“My mom’s a nurse and my family’s in medical care,” Ward said, “so I grew up, like, in the medical profession side. I just do what I can to help, cause I know blood, especially now, is something we really need.”
NYBC returns to campus every semester, providing more opportunities for students to give what they can to help save lives. In addition to this, NYBC frequently sets up blood drives throughout the year and across the state. The locations of these blood drives are always available on their website.
“Don’t be afraid of it,” Ward added. “It’s not that scary. It helps people, even if you’re scared of needles; it doesn’t hurt that bad. Just look away. Do what you can to help people, even if it’s just donating blood.”
