Spring Break
I gave blood this week; what about you?
Sarah Paeth
Issue date: 5/14/09 Section: Forum
If someone offered you the chance to give the gift of life - and it only took an hour and was at no cost to you - would you do it?
Chances are, most of us would respond with a resounding "yes."
So, where was everybody during the blood drive this week?
While donating blood at the M.U. this past Tuesday, I was sorely disappointed to hear from the woman taking my blood that the amount of student donors had been sluggish.
I'll admit that I was surprised; I've grown accustomed to the involvement and pride that OSU students feel for their school and their community. As Beaver fans, we came together to flood the football field after the USC game. We cheer on our other sports teams and attend student-produced functions.
But when it really mattered, the good ol' orange and black wasn't there to support something as important as saving a life.
According to the American Red Cross, more than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day in the US. That means that someone needs a life-saving blood transfusion every two seconds.
With the rate of administration of blood transfusions growing at an average rate of six percent a year, the need for blood outnumbers the supply available. In the time it took you to read this paragraph, more than 30 people will have needed your blood.
According to the American Red Cross website, one of the most common responses for people not giving blood is that they're afraid of needles.
Afraid of needles? Buck up! Call me callous, but I can't sympathize with people who say they don't want to donate blood because it will hurt.
If people think getting poked with a needle hurts, think how the car accident victim receiving blood transfusions must feel. The child who is sick with leukemia and may need daily blood transfusions just to stay alive probably isn't feeling too peachy, either. Giving blood isn't about pain or gain - it's about looking beyond yourself and recognizing that you can make a difference.
Chances are, most of us would respond with a resounding "yes."
So, where was everybody during the blood drive this week?
While donating blood at the M.U. this past Tuesday, I was sorely disappointed to hear from the woman taking my blood that the amount of student donors had been sluggish.
I'll admit that I was surprised; I've grown accustomed to the involvement and pride that OSU students feel for their school and their community. As Beaver fans, we came together to flood the football field after the USC game. We cheer on our other sports teams and attend student-produced functions.
But when it really mattered, the good ol' orange and black wasn't there to support something as important as saving a life.
According to the American Red Cross, more than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day in the US. That means that someone needs a life-saving blood transfusion every two seconds.
With the rate of administration of blood transfusions growing at an average rate of six percent a year, the need for blood outnumbers the supply available. In the time it took you to read this paragraph, more than 30 people will have needed your blood.
According to the American Red Cross website, one of the most common responses for people not giving blood is that they're afraid of needles.
Afraid of needles? Buck up! Call me callous, but I can't sympathize with people who say they don't want to donate blood because it will hurt.
If people think getting poked with a needle hurts, think how the car accident victim receiving blood transfusions must feel. The child who is sick with leukemia and may need daily blood transfusions just to stay alive probably isn't feeling too peachy, either. Giving blood isn't about pain or gain - it's about looking beyond yourself and recognizing that you can make a difference.
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