The recent cancellation of several blood drives in the region has caused the American Red Cross to call on OU students to donate.
The American Red Cross is calling on Ohio University students to give blood, after severe winter weather caused blood drives nationwide to be canceled earlier this year.
In Central Ohio alone, the Red Cross has canceled 16 blood drives this month, causing nearly 500 blood and platelet donations to go uncollected. Nationally, the organization has canceled nearly 200 blood drives in the same time, according to a Red Cross press release.
“Here at OU, it’s really important that college students donate because we’re such a huge part of the community,” said OU senior and American Red Cross intern Tara Counts said. “Cancelations of buildings around OU and Athens means blood drives here have had to cancel too, which is a lot of units not being collected.”
According to the Red Cross’s website, every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood, which means that more than 41,000 blood donations are needed each day.
“I know a lot of people are afraid of needles,” Counts said. “People are not looking at the bigger picture. It’s frustrating and kind of sad.”
Nicole Rhoads, a freshman studying journalism, has given blood twice. She is O-negative, a rare blood type, which can be used as a universal donor. O-negative blood is used in emergencies when a patient needs blood before their blood type is known.
“It’s pretty easy. It’s not hard at all,” Rhoads said. “Nobody else in my family can give blood due to medications and stuff, so I wanted to. Everybody needs blood.”
The process of donating includes answering a few questions about recent travel to foreign countries, disclosing any new tattoos, piercings or medical conditions, and getting a prick on the finger to make sure your blood is suitable for donation.
Mckenna Bair, a sophomore studying actuarial science, said she has given blood over twenty times, including at local OU drives.
“It makes me feel good,” Bait said. “It helps a lot of people and it’s really easy.”
The next Ohio University blood drive, which will be the last one of the school year, will take place on April 6 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Baker Ballroom B.
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