Donate Blood!

Donating Blood
This is a great thing to do! You can save lives (perhaps even your own)!
This week the The Coastal Bend Blood Center is at the college I am attending for their semi-annual blood drive. We have it once during each long semester. The even bigger benefit it that in effort to get students to donate, several instructors offer extra credit to “sweeten the deal” so to speak. This is the case in my microbiology class- two extra credit points towards your FINAL overall grade.

My instructor takes it a little bit further then just taking your word for it that you donated. He prints up a form on college letterhead that you have to have the phlebotomist sign the paper saying that either you donated or attempted to. If you have ever donated blood you know, there is a series of questions you are asked as they are taking your information to make sure that you can donate. Pregnancy is one of those things. So when it came my time to give my information I, shall we say, cut to the chase.

“I’m pregnant so I can’t donate, can I?” – I knew the answer to this question.

“No unfortunately you can’t.”

“Okay, well can you sign my form then?” Hey two points is two points!

Regardless if you get extra credit points for donating (or attempting to) blood or not, this is still something that everyone should do. Just think the next time you drive by someone who has just been loaded into an ambulance – it could be your brother, your sister, your best friend, your significant other or even your child. So visit your local Red Cross or go Here to find a donation opportunity near you!