By Kyle Levasseur
Quinnipiac University students and members of the local community donated blood at the Mt. Carmel campus on Thursday, March 7. The Community Action Project teams up with the American Red Cross for the blood drive twice a year as a way to give back to the community.
The Community Action Project’s co-directors Taylor Fay and Melissa Neves were busy signing people up throughout the day. Both are health science students at Quinnipiac and have special ties to donating blood.
Quinnipiac students donating blood with registered American Red Cross nurses.
“My mom had breast cancer,” Fay said. “We were on a family vacation and she wasn’t feeling well so we brought her to the hospital and she actually had no white blood cells so she needed a lot of blood transfusions. Now I hope to pay it forward to others that need help.”
One donation of blood can save three lives according to the American Red Cross. That was enough for Neves to join the Community Action Project, even though she can get queasy when she sees needles.
“I actually fainted once,” Neves said recalling one of the three times she gave blood. “If you can just put up with (the pain) for a little while, it’s worth it.”
The pain does not last long according to Neves. One trip to Quinnipiac’s blood drive lasts about 15 minutes and consists of laying down on a medical bed while squeezing a stress ball to pump blood to the person’s arm.
The Community Action Project says most donations of blood are a pint, but lesser amounts can also be used for research.
The American Red Cross has a promotion with HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones from March 7-12, part of which is free t-shirts and stickers for each donation in that time frame. Another part of the promotion includes a chance to win a free trip to the Game of Thrones season eight world premiere if a donation is made before March 17.
The American Red Cross gave out Game of Thrones stickers for anyone that donated blood.
Game of Thrones fan and Quinnipiac senior Nick Borgman came to the blood drive for the free t-shirt but says he will be donating blood again in the future because of what he learned.
“I never realized just how helpful donating blood can be,” Borgman said. “I just didn’t think that me giving a little bit of blood could help others. It wasn’t until I actually donated my own blood and saw it with my own eyes that I realized I was wrong.”
Snow days don't stop the need for blood. As soon as it is safe to leave the house, please consider making an appointment to give blood or platelets. https://t.co/SwYdTKlTqO
— CT Red Cross Blood (@RedCrossBloodCT) March 4, 2019
The American Red Cross is offering other days to donate blood on it’s website: redcrossblood.org