Aubrey Anderson | Assistant Opinion Editor

This past week, LifeServe Blood Center came onto campus to help facilitate a blood drive. Due to the poor weather this winter, the blood bank suffered a 486-unit loss. I am an enthusiastic blood donor so I could not wait to donate and help lessen that need! I was so excited, I could not stop talking about it. I eventually convinced my roommate, who has a fear of needles, to donate blood with me. I convinced her by telling her how important it is to donate.

I’m not sure how to say this without sounding creepy, but I love donating blood. I love that you are either helping save a single person’s life, or you are potentially helping three! On the LifeServe website, it states that just one pint of blood (the average donation size) can save up to three different lives. Knowing this fact, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t donate. When I ask my friends to donate, I always get responses like, “Oh, I don’t care for needles,” or “Oh, I should do that sometime, just not today.”

I understand that if you have a medical condition, or if you have a deathly fear of needles, donating is not an option. However, for the rest of the population, what if it were you needing to receive a blood donation? There is a shortage of blood in blood banks because only 10% of the eligible population that can donate, actually does. From my point of view, I don’t see any negative effects from donating blood. Yes, you may have to deal with being poked by a needle. Yes, you may feel a little lazy afterwards, but isn’t it worth it to know that you are making a difference and saving lives? A simple process that takes roughly 10 minutes can help someone survive surgery, or fight cancer, or survive serious trauma. I know people who would not be here today if it weren’t for blood transfusions. In my mind, donating blood is one of the easiest, yet most heroic acts. Making a difference in people’s lives is worth 10 minutes of possible discomfort.

More people need to open their eyes and see that some people in the community need more help than just being supplied food and shelter. Donating blood is a free way to change a person’s life. If it were you on the receiving end, wouldn’t you wish people donated? I donate to try and make up for those who don’t. I donate because of the people in my life, who survived thanks to blood transfusions. I donate because I want to make a difference in this world. I have no idea who I am helping, but I know it is the right thing to do. Please, if you are even close to being on the fence about donating blood, give it a try! If you don’t like the experience, no harm done. However, if you find the experience to be less scary than anticipated, you may get hooked like me.

Photo by: Aubrey Anderson