B positive about blood drives

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Students and teachers await Carlmont’s annual blood drive, eager to give back. The school blood drive encourages members of the Carlmont community to donate to those in need.

While last year’s blood drive was canceled due to the spread of COVID-19, this year’s drive is set to be held on March 24 during the school day but is subject to change.

The Associated Student Body (ASB) Do Something commission organizes and runs the blood drive. They contacted Vitalant, the local blood supplier, in September to see if hosting a drive was even feasible. Over the last few months, they have been planning and coordinating with Vitalant through in-person and online meetings.

“We weren’t sure if we would be able to do a blood drive during the pandemic, but these drives are very important; during COVID-19 and over the past few years, blood has become a lot less available. Students or faculty that donate make a difference and have a huge impact on others’ lives,” said Delaney Paulus, a senior and commissioner in Do Something.

Though many people want to participate in the blood drive, not everyone can. There are specific age requirements to donate.

“You have to be ages 16 or older to be able to donate, and 16 and 17-year-olds need to have a parental consent form prior to donation,” said Paige Wellman, a senior and the current lead facilitator for Do Something, who has been a member of the commission for three years.

In the past, both teachers and students have participated in each blood drive. According to the American Red Cross, each person typically donates roughly one pint of blood. All of the blood goes to helping patients in need of transfusions in nearby communities.

“There’s a definite need for blood. I’ve donated a lot of blood in the past, and I think it’s a wonderful thing to be able to give something that you have and is also so valuable,” said Jim Kelly, the Activities Director at Carlmont.

Blood is always needed, and donations are highly encouraged if people are eligible. The Stanford Blood Center states that one in seven patients entering a hospital needs blood. According to America’s Blood Centers, someone in the United States needs blood roughly every two seconds.

While all blood donated is very helpful, some blood types are needed much more than others because of rarity. The Stanford Blood Center explains that there are eight possible blood types: O+, O-, A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, and AB-. According to the Associated for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB), O+ is the most common blood type and is present in roughly 37.4% of the population.

The AABB states that the rarest blood type is AB- (approximately 0.6%) followed by B- (approximately 1.5%). As a result, donations for these blood types can be in high demand if there are few people who meet the criteria.

Luckily, everyone is able to receive blood from type O-, which is known as the universal donor. Additionally, Stanford Blood Center states that people with blood type AB+ are known as the universal recipient and can receive blood from everyone.

Many people are unaware of which blood type they are; a 2019 CBS News Poll reveals that only 66% of Americans know their own blood type. This information can be found by asking a doctor or healthcare provider the next time you get blood drawn or donating blood.

“The blood drive has a direct effect on our community, and by donating, you save lives. That’s not an opportunity that I get all the time, and that’s not something I take lightly. Being able to help someone is one of the most rewarding things in the world,” Wellman said.