Salem Students Donate Double-Time

By David Simmons
SALEM, Mass., Oct. 5, 2016 — Some 40 people gave blood at the Red Cross blood drive in the Veterans Hall at Salem State University on Wednesday. This was the first drive of the 2016–2017 school year and important since the organization says it is in “Urgent Need.”

The Red Cross is a well-known group that assists with aid to other countries during a natural disaster, U.S. troops that are injured during war and domestically during and after disasters. Since this summer, the Red Cross has been in “Urgent Need” which means that it’s supply is below the minimum goal of having a five-day supply of blood across the nation.

“This summer we have fallen below 39,000 units of blood,” said Alyson Barraza, the Communications Manager for Red Cross in Massachusetts and Connecticut. “We are still 10,000 units short,” she said and noted that “14,000 units of blood are needed a day to keep up with the hospitals.”

Giving blood is an important act because blood is constantly in need. The Red Cross website states that “every two seconds someone needs blood.”

On Wednesday, volunteers signed in donors who had their information verified before giving a blood sample to test the iron level. If the iron level of a donor is good then the person has two options: give a pint of blood or, if O-Positive, O-Negative, A-Negative or B-Negative, do a process called “Double Reds” which allows a donor to give two pints. This is possible by the blood being drawn is separated in a machine which returns the plasma and platelets back to the donor with the addition of saline for hydration.

Luke Moylan, a junior attending Salem State University, was giving “Double Reds.” He has done it twice a year for the past two years.

“I have always wanted to give blood ever since I saw my dad come home after [doing so] with different color bandages around his arm every time, pretending he was a Ninja Turtle,” Moylan said.

The blood drive at Salem State University is generally six hours long, which is an hour longer than most other locations because of the large turn-outs. There were 40 appointment booked, with a ceiling of 62 donations available. There is still a 10,000 unit deficiency and more needs to be taken because the holidays bring out another large draw from the National Inventory.

NOTE: Being eligible and moved by the importance of the blood drive, the author gave “Double Reds.”