A Little Blood Can Go a Long Way

By Kymani Greaves

Students streamed into Martin Auditorium Sept. 30 to donate blood at an on-campus blood drive co-sponsored by Stonehill Health and Wellness and the Rhode Island Blood Center.

"This was my first time donating blood; it was a light prick, very quick, nothing that would hurt that long," said junior Tessa Savard. 

The staff helped around four people at a time while people kept arriving. 

The American Red Cross reported there is a national blood supply crisis after blood donations fell to a four-year summer low.  It's the second time the American Red Cross has declared a national blood supply crisis.

Even with thousands of people who have given blood in the region, donations are not keeping pace with hospital demand — which is up during the summer trauma season.   

According to the American Red Cross, "Extreme heat, poor air quality and widespread foodborne illnesses are contributing to lower donor turnout this summer, further straining the nation’s blood supply."

Patients are already feeling the effects of the crisis, as patients are forced to wait for blood they desperately need. 

At the Stonehill blood drive, some people scheduled appointments while others walked in to make a donation.  

The reasons students and staff had for donating blood ranged. 

"I am doing this because people are short on blood, so I know it is going to a good place and it is helping many people," said Savard. 

Others said they donated multiple times in the past, and they felt proud and grateful that they were able to help. 

"This is my fifth time giving blood; it just feels like a good thing to do and be helpful to people not just once but multiple times over the years," said junior Molly Clifford.

At the blood drive, friends donated blood together while others were there to encourage their friends, especially those giving blood for the first time, to relax during the donation process.

"I would tell my friends and others to think of the outcome of what you are doing to know that you are saving lives and many people that need blood," Clifford said. 

Stonehill was just one of the schools the Rhode Island Blood Center, which hosted the drive with the College, has partnered with. 

"I worked for Rhode Island blood center for 26 years. We go to colleges, middle schools, churches, business, and we have fixed sites so people can donate blood," said Deborah Zona, the supervisor for the Rhode Island Blood Center.

Even with the Rhode Island Blood Center's helping hand in collecting blood donations, the American Red Cross now has less than a one-day national supply of type O positive blood. Type O positive is the most commonly transfused blood type. 

According to the American Red Cross, the crisis is at an all-time low that they started limiting the distributions of type O blood to individual hospitals. 

"Less than 5% of the population donate blood, which is unfortunate because you can't recreate blood; you need someone to give it to you if you need it," Zona said. 

Every person can help people in need with donated blood even if your blood type is rare.

"All blood types can be used even if you have the rarest type, AB Negative. It can be used in different ways, like cancer and heart problems. There are many different uses," Zona said. 

The Stonehill blood drive was a good opportunity to help people in need, while also educating the community about the work blood centers like Rhode Island Blood Center do.

"I joined the team in May and started donating blood in 2022. Years later, [while] working at Brown University, I was looking for a new place to work, and the Rhode Island Blood Center had open spots, so I joined," said Hannah Gomez, Rhode Island Blood Center's account manager. 

Gomez said you gain some firsthand experience working at the center. 

"One thing that I learned is that different people need blood, not just for cancer patients. Some mothers may need blood when things go wrong when they are giving birth," Gomez said.