National Blood Donor Month has been observed every January since 1970 and serves many purposes such as bringing awareness to the importance of becoming a blood donor and demonstrating other ways to help save lives.

Blood transfusions can be lifesaving, but without a supply of blood, these vital procedures can’t happen. National Blood Donor month serves as a reminder to all that donating blood is an important act and could potentially save your life or someone else’s life one day.

The American Red Cross is one of the few organizations that help with the collection of blood donations, supplying about 40 percent of the nation’s blood.

Winter can be a difficult season for organizations like the American Red Cross as people begin to catch seasonal illnesses and bad weather conditions cancel blood drives, which increases the struggle for the Red Cross to collect enough blood to meet patient needs.

Sophomore political science major Noah McCammon says he has donated blood once in the past and describes his experience as draining, yet overall pleasant.

“It was in my high school gym,” McCammon said. “We had to register at some computers, and then wait our turn. I got my blood drained and then left to go to work immediately after, but they had beds set up for if you got lightheaded.”

Rachel Schell, a sophomore finance major, says she has donated six times even after her first experience was not enjoyable.

“The nurse that was taking the blood first left the armband around my arm for a long time and forgot to take it off at first, so I was losing feeling in my arm,” Schell said. “I didn’t know that that’s not what they were supposed to do, since it was my first time. Then when she was taking the needle out of my arm, she pulled it out really weird and harsh, so there was a bruise on my arm for about two months.”

Schell says she didn’t want to base her future experiences of giving blood on her first and stresses the importance of donating.

“There are people out there that might need it more than we do right in that moment,” Schell said. “It’s not a lot that they take, and it takes almost no time at all. Also, how can we expect people to give their blood for us when we need it, if we don’t do the same for them?”

Some people are unable to donate blood due to health conditions that prevent them from doing so, like Kristina Robinson, a sophomore communication disorders and sciences major.

Robinson said she is anemic, which prevents her from giving blood but not from helping the cause.

Dating back to her high school days, Robinson has helped run blood drives on five separate occasions, one of them being at Eastern, and describes her typical responsibilities there.

“I would go to the store and buy fruit bars, juice, water, and other snacks,” said Robinson. “Then, I would get to school an hour early on the day of the blood drive to help the Red Cross set up. I would check people in, give them the paperwork to fill out and lead them to a table when it was time. Some people like to be talked to while they give as a distraction, so I helped with that. If people were feeling

faint, I would lead them to a mat to lie down and get them water and snacks. I even had to escort some people to the bathroom and once even an ambulance was called.”

Heather Vosburgh said can be reached at 581-2812 or at hmvosburgh@eiu.edu.