Western is the number one source of blood donors in Whatcom County, said Carol Rondello, Puget Sound Blood Center donor service representative. Approximately 20 percent of the blood used in Western Washington hospitals the day after a Western blood drive comes from the university.
The blood drive will take place in room 565 of the Viking Union and at the Puget Sound Blood Center “bloodmobile” in Red Square from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Oct. 20 through 22.
“[The blood drive] is part of Western’s culture,” said Catherine Vader, coordinator for the Western Outreach Center. She said she is amazed at how many students donate.
Western has a big blood bag to fill this year, considering last year’s record-breaking 481 donations throughout the three days of the fall blood drive.
“I’d love to beat it,” Vader said. “I’d love to get even close to it. I mean, those are good numbers.”
Vader said 400 donations would still be a good number.
Rondello said the process of donating blood is simple.
Donors register, complete a health questionnaire and have a simple screening interview involving a brief physical exam. If the donors seem healthy they are approved for blood donation.
The process takes less than an hour, and only seven to ten minutes of that hour are spent with a needle in the donor’s arm, Rondello said.
Vader said donors are likely to spend more time enjoying their cookies and juice at the canteen, run by Western’s pre-med club, than actually giving blood.
Each donation is approximately 1 pint of blood, Rondello said.
After the Puget Sound Blood Center phlebotomists—or blood transfusion specialists—extract the blood, the donations are sent to a lab in Renton where they are divided into the three base components of blood: red blood cells, platelets and plasma. Rondello said since the blood is divided into its three components, each pint of blood donated can go to help three different people.
The red blood cells deliver oxygen to organs throughout the body. Red blood cell donations are primarily used in surgeries, accidents and other cases of blood loss, Rondello said.
Plasma helps with fluid replacement throughout the body and is given to burn victims and cancer patients. Platelets support blood-clotting, she said, and are primarily given to burn victims and cancer patients.
“If you know anyone who has had cancer therapy, chances are they needed blood products to help them recover,” Rondello said.
Rondello said there is a 70 percent probability that any one person will need blood products some time in his or her life.
She said despite this, only 8 percent of the population donates, primarily because people are not often asked to donate.
Cassidy Hunt, a Western sophomore, said though he has never given blood, it is something he is interested in now that he is informed about the blood drive.
“It is something that I can do to support the community at large,” Hunt said.
The flu may play a role in cutting back the amount of donations this year, Rondello said. That is why it is vital that healthy people step up to the plate and donate, she said.
Vader, said flu reports at Western have been relatively low compared to other universities, such as Washington State University, and the flu is more likely to be a limiting factor during the winter blood drive.
In past years, most of the students working at the blood drive have been lifestyle advisers working with the Western Outreach Center, Vader said.
Since funding for the lifestyle adviser program has diminished, other sources are being tapped, including work study students and pre-med students.
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