Conant to host blood drive amid national shortage
This Friday, during periods 1-7, Conant Medical Careers Club will be hosting a blood drive in the multi-purpose room (room 214, near the auditorium). The drive is hosted by Vitalant. You must be 16 years or older to participate. If you are below 17, you must bring a permission slip signed by a parent or guardian. Permission slips are available in the cafeteria throughout the week.
This blood drive gives students an opportunity to donate if they weren’t eligible to donate at last October’s drive. “The blood drive was incredibly important because there has been an immense blood shortage ever since the pandemic started,” Kaya Wzorek, Medical Careers Club member, said. “One pint of blood can be used for up to three or four people, so that means a single donation could save up to four people’s lives.”
Conant Medical Careers Club had been working for weeks to organize the drive. Club sponsor and Conant teacher Victoria DeGuia encourages students to donate if eligible. “By giving blood, donors transform the lives of many others,” she said.
The blood drive comes at a vital time. The Red Cross has declared the United States in its first ever blood crisis. The nation has been experiencing a drop in donations since the start of the pandemic, with even lower donation rates since the Omicron variant surge earlier this year. This has led to hospitals receiving inadequate amounts of blood and transfusion patients being turned away due to not enough available blood for their blood type. Trauma patients and chronically ill individuals especially depend on these donations.
You can visit the Vitalant website for eligibility requirements.
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