HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Yet one more consequence of the pandemic has been faculty blood drives being cancelled, and that’s having a huge impact on the nation’s provide.
CBS2’s Carolyn Gusoff spoke with Hempstead college students who introduced again a drive on Thursday with excessive hopes.
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Eleventh grader Khan Zidan is a first-time blood donor on a mission.
“I need to assist folks like my mother and my buddies who’ve had transfusions prior to now,” Zidan mentioned.
After a pause throughout the pandemic, the Hempstead High School health club was as soon as once more crammed with pupil blood donors. The Key Membership provided classmates incentives like Massive Macs and group service hours.
However the greatest perk?
“Having the ability to save folks. It makes you’re feeling good after,” Key Membership member Kayla Harris mentioned.
“We at all times inform them that even one donation can assist save the lives of as much as three folks,” eleventh grader Salma Perez mentioned.
(Picture: CBS2)
“It’s saving peoples’ lives as 1 in 3 folks might have a donation as soon as of their lifetime,” eleventh grader Camila Rojas mentioned.
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“To me, blood donations are very private as a result of a number of years in the past my cousin, his life was saved due to a blood donation,” twelfth grader Daniella Marroqion added.
These 17 and up can donate, however 16-year-olds want parental permission. However donating is so common on the faculty, “I’ve 14- and 15-year-olds which are asking,” Key Membership advisor Jennifer Salgado mentioned.
They’ll have to attend, however the crucial message is getting by way of amid a power disaster that has been deepened by faculty closures, then the Omicron variant, and up to date snow storms. The New York Blood Center used to rely on faculties for 500 drives per 12 months, however fewer than 100 have come again.
“These youth donors are usually not solely necessary to our blood provide however to our future blood provide. If they’ve an awesome expertise donating with their buddies and classmates and getting out of chemistry class, that’s a pleasant expertise that may hopefully make a lifetime of giving,” mentioned Andrea Cefarelli, government director of the New York Blood Middle.
The availability is all the way down to solely two to 3 days. A five-to-seven day cushion is required. The New York Blood Middle is urging college students to succeed in out to learn to observe Hempstead’s lead.
“I wanted blood once I had surgical procedure as a result of I didn’t have sufficient, so I might say it helped save my life,” eleventh grader Sid Mohammed mentioned.
“That’s simply character-building and that’s one of many key components in training, is constructing good folks,” Hempstead Excessive Assistant Principal Kristin Kelly mentioned.
It’s, maybe, the only approach to save a life, and you can also make a behavior of it. On common, donors may give blood each three months.
College students can contact the New York Blood Center to arrange a faculty blood drive or discover out the place teams of teenagers can go to donate blood.
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Colleges and faculties have been donating 75,000 pints of blood per 12 months to the New York Blood Middle earlier than the pandemic.
