A little blood can save a lot of lives.
By: Colby Nicholson
Benicia High School hosted a blood drive on Thursday, February 14, in The Old Gym by Vitalant. The company’s network supplies blood to thousands of hospitals in 40 states. Every day in the U.S., patients in hospitals, surgical centers and emergency treatment facilities need approximately:
- 36,000 units of red blood cells
- 7,000 units of platelets
- 10,000 units of plasma
Volunteer blood donors across the nation and around the world are pertinent in saving thousands of lives everyday. With donor numbers on the decline, it’s important for people to understand the impact of taking an hour out of your day for an almost painless experience. I encourage all able bodied persons to donate blood if they get the chance. Your blood often goes to blood transfusion procedures, these can be used to help: serious injuries (like a car accident), surgeries, childbirth, anemia, blood disorders, cancer treatment, and much more! Your platelets are given to those who can’t make enough on their own, people who have gone through chemo or radiation therapy, and your plasma is given to people with serious burns. So next time there’s a drive in the area, take action, because you could save a life.
