Someone, somewhere, just woke up in a hospital bed. Whether recovering from a car accident, a surgery, or facing an illness out of the blue, there is often one key thing that contributed to saving this person’s life: a stranger’s blood donation.
On Friday, Mar. 6, the Pembroke Pines Charter Key Club put together their annual blood drive in the school’s famed River of Grass (ROG).
Senior Brianna Mendez, an experienced donor, notes, “I have done this 10 times already. Even though you might not see it happen or know the people, it’s really just a great feeling to know you’re helping people out.”
Like Mendez, many students have similar motivations to join the blood drive. While the fear of fainting or headaches can be discouraging, for many, it is the concept of knowing that lives are being saved because of their donation. With the pure variety of blood types and authenticity of each drop, hospitals heavily depend on these volunteers.
For some students, however, there might be specific personal reasons for choosing to participate in the drive.
“Well, it really entices me because they say it saves lives, but me, personally, a lot of older people in my family do have health complications,” senior Lealia Taylor comments.
“Recently, my grandpa had a really big surgery, and he did need a blood transfusion, so I was like, ‘Why not?’ I knew I wanted someone to help my grandpa, so why not do that for other people?”
Taylor has participated in these blood drives over 10 times as well. In her case especially, it is not seen as a chore or something to dread, instead as a small action that can serve an incredibly meaningful purpose.
With trained medical staff on campus, assigned students to help guide donors back to class, and an overall safe and comfortable environment, what seems like a nightmare can turn into a very personal and beautiful thing.
Mendez mentions, “I already donate outside of school, and I feel like the blood donation buses are always so easy to access, so for me to continue would definitely not be a problem.”
Experiences like these do not only show courage for high school students but also shape how they view the importance of helping others. Some students can turn one donation into a lifetime of giving back.
Someone, somewhere, is in a hospital bed, waking up to the news that a last-minute blood transfusion saved their life. They will likely never know the name of the person who contributed, but either way, someone, somewhere, just got a second chance at life.
