According to Ms. Mary Pashley, Director of Community Service, a blood drive has taken place biannually during each of her twenty-nine years at Choate. This year’s blood drive accumulated about 90 pints of donated blood from 90 people, making it yet another success in Choate’s long history of blood drives. Twenty-two adults, including those from town, and sixty-eight students particpated. Choate is one of about twenty high schools in Connecticut that holds biannual blood drives.
“Donating blood is the one activity that can begin a life long commitment to giving back and serving the community,” said Ms. Pashley. She emphasized that one donation can potentially help three to four patients in need, including cancer, trauma, and surgical patients.
About
one pint of blood and several small test tubes are collected from each
donor. “Though donated blood only has a shelf life of about three days,
there is still always a very urgent need for blood contributions.”
Ms. Pashley explained that the process of donating blood at Choate is simple and usually takes about one hour, though two hours of community service are awarded to all blood donors. All blood drawn in Wallingford is taken to the Red Cross Center in Farmington, CT. From there, blood is distributed to local hospitals.
There are many strict requirements that the Red Cross maintains for donors, which have contributed to the rising urgency for blood in recent years. It stipulates that individuals who test positive for HIV or AIDs, have an iron count considered even slightly anemic, or who have traveled to areas marked “restricted” by the Red Cross cannot donate. According to their website, the donated blood goes through a series of steps to ensure the safety of both recipient and donor.
“High school students are prime donors because donating at such a young age will help them realize how easy and wonderful it is,” remarked Pashley. “By facilitating this commitment to donating blood, we are enabling a wonderful contribution to Connecticut residents in need, as well as the future communities of Choate students.”
According to the American Red Cross web site, high school donors must weigh at least 110 pounds and be 17 years old to donate. Furthermore, the head nurse on site determines height and weight ratios for special circumstances. Students should also be well rested and have eaten full, nutritious meals in the two days leading up to their donation.
At the donation site, registered Red Cross nurses screen potential donors by asking about their medical history and checking conditions such as iron count and body temperature.
Donors are carefully observed for possible adverse reactions throughout the entire process. Though there are usually no side effects to donating blood, students have been known to occasionally faint or feel dizzy, as evidenced by the fainting incidents at the joint Choate-Hopkins choir concert at Woolsey Hall in 2010.
thenews.choate.edu
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