Brighton High School blood drive

Other than having to close the blood drive a little early due to technical difficulties, everyone involved says it was a complete success on December 2nd.

The Red Cross workers that gave up their day to help collect blood from all the eager students of Brighton realized that their equipment has stopped working around 11:30. The equipment that was used at the blood drive helped determine if the applicants were eligible for donation without the equipment the workers couldn’t test if the blood that was about to be given was compromised or safe for donation.

Other than the equipment suddenly not working students that gave up their time and blood say that they felt helpful and needed for something as important as blood. For every person that gave blood, they saved three lives.

“I saved some lives, it was great. Three lives to be exact,” donor Erin Sharp said.

Some people really enjoy giving blood and saving peoples lives, while others would love to save lives but are to afraid of the sight of blood or needles. Even when people are not afraid of blood or needles, the body of the donor reacts when the blood is removed and some even pass out due to the sudden decrease of blood volume.

“I was unable to give blood this year because the equipment stopped working, but last year when I gave blood I felt like I was really helping someone, even though I passed out,” donor Madeline Thomas said.

Leadership was at the blood drive all day, checking people in and out, and also listening to what the donors said about how they were feeling. It is very important that the donors tell the helpers how they are feeling, if the donors feel sick or abnormal and don’t tell someone then that could affect their health even more than taking a pint of blood out of the body. Other than leadership talking to the donors and making sure they’re healthy enough to head back to class, they offered food and drinks to the donors, played movies and kept them company when they didn’t feel well.

“Leadership has been really good walking with people, walking them to the bathroom and making sure no one gets hurt,” leadership member Alissa Brehmer said.

Article by: Cameron Kraning