The Stanford Blood Center hosted the first blood drive of the year at the Hinson Campus Center in partnership with Student Health Services on Jan. 30.
The event saw a turnout of approximately 60 different donors who signed up for appointments that day, lower than what it has seen in past years.
“The numbers that we’re collecting now are nothing in comparison to what we were collecting pre-pandemic,” said Monica Doleshel-Aguirre, account manager for the Stanford Blood Center.
Doleshel-Aguirre said that the blood center used to run 12-hour blood drives that would draw over 100 donors on average.
“For today’s blood drive, we had 58 appointments, and out of those 58 not everyone is going to meet the requirements,” Doleshel-Aguirre said.
Students were incentivized with a $15 e-gift card and a special edition Golden State Warriors sweatshirt. For some students, the reason for donating had little to do with incentives.
Anuraag Punnam, 18, computer engineering major, said he donates blood twice every year. For him and his family, it is a tradition to do so.
“We’re all healthy enough to donate blood, so we do it to help those who need it,” Punnam said.
For Ramona Sales, 20, public health major, donating blood has always been something she wanted to do.
“I saw the flyers around campus and I always wanted to donate, so I thought I might as well do it now,” Sales said.
Doleshel-Aguirre encourages everyone to donate blood at least once.
“Every two seconds someone needs a blood transfusion,” Doleshel-Aguirre said. “There’s no way these patients could get blood if it doesn’t come from a generous donor because blood is not manufactured, so it’s literally a life-saving event.”
The blood donation process usually takes about an hour to complete.
“From start to finish, we tell people to allow one hour,” Doleshel-Aguirre said. “That’s because you have to register, fill out a questionnaire, you go through a mini physical exam and then you go through the donation process, which takes five to 15 minutes. At the end, you sit for 15 minutes.”
Doleshel-Aguirre strongly encourages students and staff, especially the Latinx community to donate.
About 60% to 70% of Latinos have type O blood, which can be transfused to any blood group.
“Unfortunately, we don’t get high participation from our Latino community, yet they have the most common blood type,” Doleshel-Aguirre said. “We really try to educate and involve the Latino community for that reason.”
Although the Latinx community is highly encouraged to donate, Doleshel-Aguirre said anyone eligible to donate should do so, as each donation has the ability to save three other lives in need of transfusions.
“We need all blood types and if you meet the requirements to donate, you are literally creating an impact and saving people’s lives,” Doleshel-Aguirre said.
People interested in donating blood have the opportunity to attend the next campus blood drive on May 7. Students can check their eligibility for donating here.
