Cross Street Fifth Graders Prepare to Help Save Lives

On Wednesday, Feb. 2, will be turned into a “site of heroes,” where according to Patty (last name withheld) from the New York Blood Center, donors will give “a piece of themselves” to help save someone’s life.

While these benefactors are recognized as heroes, Patty made it clear to Tom Nucci’s fifth grade class Thursday morning that the real heroes are the ones who put the word out about the drive.

“The goal is to allow students to provide services and build awareness,” Principal Devra Lee Small said of Cross Street’s third annual blood drive.

Students were given sign-up sheets to hand out in the process of recruiting donors. The services Small referred to include escorting donors from the beds to the juice and cookie table and re-stocking the blood supply. Before undertaking these tasks, the children must first understand why a juice and cookie area is necessary.

Before Patty could explain, a knowledgeable student beat her to the punch.

“The sugar helps the body remake blood,” he said proudly.

More than half of the kids’ hands shot up when they were asked who has been to a blood drive with their parents, demonstrating their veteran knowledge. Still, she proceeded to inform the children about the rules and regulations involved with giving blood and asking questions while answering the rapid fire inquiries they lobbed back.

As she talked about the policies regarding giving blood while on medication and even after getting a tattoo, a keen youngster asked if smokers are allowed to donate blood.

The answer to that may have been ‘yes,’ but it turns out that there are many other restrictions: age, weight and eligible donors not being allowed to give blood more than six times a year.

The fifth graders were easily able to relate, being under a similar set of restrictions such as no gum-chewing in class. 

“We can in Ms. (Karen) Ferraro’s (class)!” said one astute pupil.

“You can go there then,” Nucci replied.

Knowing the ins and outs of blood drive procedure was definitely helpful to the future volunteers and the biology discussion further peaked their interest.

The students were privy to red and white blood cells, but platelets were new to them.

Patty described the blood clot-makers as being similar to “the sticky inside of a roasted marshmallow.” That seemed to be enough of an explanation for the students who then offered up their own tales of injury to the guest speaker.

A few scrape-related stories later and Patty was out the door to the other fifth grade class, leaving them with New York Blood Center rubber bracelets as new fashion assessories. “They were a smart, enthusiastic and curious group,” she said afterward.