By donating one pint of blood a person can save up to three lives, according to St. Luke’s Hospital Blood Center.
Allied Health Professions Society, a UH student organization, set a goal to get at least 200 students to donate blood at its Halloween Blood Drive Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in front of the Science Building – an effort that could potenially save up to 600 lives.
"I feel good about what I do. I know this is a big deal," said Darrell Edmondson, a St. Luke’s Hospital phlebotomist. "It’s not just a weekend thing or a disaster thing – this is an everyday thing."
A St. Luke’s Hospital blood center bus was parked in front of the Science Building and St. Luke’s phlebotomists were on site drawing blood from students, giving free T-shirts, drinks and cookies to donors.
By the end of the day the blood drive yielded a total of 95 blood donors. Seventeen of the donations were because of iron deficiencies and other irregularities, so only 78 pints were actually contributed.
St. Luke’s blood center aims to collect an average of about 75 to 90 units or pints of blood a day, Edmondson said.
UH student blood donors had various reasons for stopping and contributing Tuesday.
English senior Nick Radcliffe admits he donated out of pure curiosity.
"I want to donate mostly because I have no idea what blood type I am," Radcliffe said.
Second-time donor and pre-pharmacy freshman Yuli Pan was drawn in by the perks offered by St. Luke’s Blood Center.
"You get free food, save lives and get a free T-shirt," Pan said.
Even though AHPS didn’t meet its goal of 200 blood donations, the group feels they still succeeded in contributing to the blood bank and raising awareness among students about the benefits of donating blood.
Biology junior and AHPS Treasurer Mohammed Khan feels the drive was a success.
"Fortunately, a lot of people came out and donated their time as well as themselves and their blood. Hopefully, it will be of good use for the future," Khan said.
At a summer internship with St. Luke’s, Khan said he gained insight as to how crucial blood donations are.
"I know there’s a shortage of blood. St. Luke’s representatives told us that they need a lot of blood and that donations are valuable," Khan said.
Tuesday’s blood drive was part of AHPS’s overall effort to help students who are considering careers in health professions. The student group creates opportunities for its members to interact with the community and allows them to gain experience by providing help to those in need.
"If students are going into medicine or any health care field they have to be able to work with people in various conditions and in various ways," said Pryanka Wan, biology senior and AHPS president. "Our main goal is to help students build communication and leadership skills through volunteer events."
AHPS offers workshops, guest speakers, field trips, shadowing programs and academic help related to all areas of health professions.
For Khan, an aspiring doctor, AHPS is an essential student group for health-oriented students to be a part of.
"As a biology major – and wanting to go into the health field – you need some type of support along the way and I think AHPS provides that in many ways," Khan said. "AHPS gives students an opportunity to see what we’re planning to get ourselves into."
AHPS membership is open to all students interested in pursuing a career in the Allied Health professions.
For more information, go to www.uh.edu/ahps.
