By Silvia Lopez Medina
Dominican community members rolled up their sleeves to help donate blood through the Versiti Blood Center drive.
Dominican co-sponsored the blood drive in the Parmer Atrium on Nov. 9.
Students and staff donated their blood to maintain an adequate blood supply for transfusions around the Illinois area as it goes through a blood shortage.
The Pre-Physician Assistant Association hosted its third annual blood drive, making it the first of two blood drives that the university plans to host this school year.
Parmer Atrium was filled with plenty of snacks and socks for students who stopped by and donated.
According to Leslie Valdez, the organizer and Pre-PA President, Organizers had a goal of 20 pints of blood. Students, faculty, and staff exceeded that goal by giving 25 pints of blood, which helped save 63 lives in the local community.
Senior Bryanna Rios said she appreciated the idea of donating blood to people in need.
“As a nursing student, I love the idea of helping people that can potentially be like the patients I will help one day have,” said Rios.
Other students like Chiamaka Njeako said she thinks the entire process is special.
“One of the workers mentioned how every student who donates gets an email of where your blood went to,” she explained. “It gives you a more direct connection with giving away your blood.”
Donating blood is a safe and simple act that only takes about 15 minutes, but there are some requirements that donors must meet.
The donor needs to be between 16 and 69-years-old, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good health. Additionally, they must be rested, alcohol-free in 12 hours prior to the donation, and not participate in fasting.
This year, the American Red Cross implemented the FDA’s updated final guidance regarding an individual donor assessment for all blood donors regardless of gender or sexual orientation.
This change eliminated previous FDA eligibility criteria based on sexual orientation.
Any individual, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, who has had new or multiple sexual partners in the last three months, will be asked to wait three months to donate blood from last anal sex contact.
This is after the nonprofit group said it is working with the FDA to make the blood-donation guidelines more inclusive.
Valdez said that she was pleased with the university’s response.
“The embodiment of Dominican always shows students and staff lending a hand whenever they see someone that needs it,” she said.
Those who were not able to donate blood this semester will have the opportunity next semester in April.
