Donating blood to help people

Every semester, when Norwich holds a blood drive, students show up to donate.

Donating blood helps many people in need and it "makes me feel good knowing that I am helping another person," said Stephanie Dorain, 22, a senior history and education major from Wilder, Vt.

Students offer many reasons why they decided to donate.

"I am A positive and the more people that I can help with that blood type the better I feel that I am helping the cause (of donating)," said Alex Crowson, 20, a junior English and elementary education major from East Barre, Vt.

Crowson donates to help other people. "If you get in a car accident or something and if I needed blood I would definitely want there to be some for me."

Kelly Marckres, 19, a freshman nursing major from Craftsbury, Vt., donates blood because it is important to her and she wants to help those in need.

Meghan Maurice, 32, a freshman nursing major from Barre, Vt., stated that she donates "just to donate, just for the sake of (giving blood)," because it's a good cause to take part in.

 "I love helping people and it gives me a very satisfying feeling after I give blood," said Shaquile Adams, 19, a sophomore psychology and criminal justice major from Chester, Pa.

Some students were afraid to donate the first time.

 Adams was nervous the first time as well as every time since because "I am terrified of needles and someone has to hold my hand."

Dorain said she has always been afraid of needles so it was difficult for her the first time.

"I was nervous that my iron level was not going to be high enough," said Crowson. When she did donate for the first time she was not afraid to give blood because of the needles.

But Maurice stated that the first time she gave blood she was likely not nervous because she "usually doesn't get nervous for that kind of thing."

According to the website Donate Blood Now, "Most donors will tell you that you feel only a slight initial pinch (from the needle), and seven to 10 minutes later, you are finished and headed for the canteen."

"I thought it was going to hurt but it didn't hurt at all," said Marckres, adding that she is not afraid of needles.

Some students have donated multiple times throughout their lifetime.

Maurice has given blood about "half a dozen times, some I did locally and some elsewhere. … I used to give (blood) pretty regularly when I did my first undergrad and that was 10 years ago in Burlington."

Adams said he donates twice a year, "and I am thinking about throwing in that third one."

The first time that she gave blood it was a success but that was the only time that she was able to donate since, said Marckres.  

According to Donate Blood Now, "regulations in the United States allow people to donate whole blood once every 56 days. The waiting period between donations can be different for other blood components."

Some students have not been able to donate for various reasons such as health issues.

The second time that she tried to give blood she was not able to because she was anemic (a decrease in number of red blood cells) and the third time that she went, "They couldn't find a vein," said Marckres.

According to American Red Cross, "Those younger than age 17 are almost always legal minors (not yet of the age of majority) who cannot give consent by themselves to donate blood."

"When I have been pregnant I have not been able to donate," said Maurice.

Many students encourage others to donate blood. According to American Red Cross, "the number of blood donations collected in the U.S. in a year: 16 million (2006) and more than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day."

Dorain said she encourages her friends to go. They might be "a universal donor and (blood drives) always need more of different types of blood." 

Adams encourages people to donate because he is very involved through volunteering.

"I volunteer and there are different locations that (volunteers) will have to work at," said Adams. "You can be at the front desk and you help check in people and you can help run and keep the table stocked with food because you have to eat right after you donate blood to keep your hemoglobin up."

According to Crowson, "You should donate (blood) and eat a lot of steak before you go and if you drink a ton of fluids in the days before you go then it will make it easier (to donate) because it helps your blood and it doesn't take as long" for the process of extracting the blood to happen.

The last time Marckres went she "dragged along a few people" to convince them to donate blood as well. "You could save somebody's life and I think that's pretty cool," she said.