STORY AND PHOTO BY JONAS CORLISS, STAFF WRITER
Community members donated blood for hospitals on campus at a donation drive held by Cedar-Sinai on May 1.
The blood drive was held in front of the Student Center inside of the Bloodmobile from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The drive was planned to take place on both April 30 and May 1 but according to the blood drive coordinator, Darlene Garcia, the first day of the drive was canceled due to scheduling conflicts. People who donated received either a limited edition T-shirt or a gift card to Chick-fil-A while supplies lasted.
Due to the high demand for blood in hospitals, this blood drive is just one of several that are held on campus each year, one during the fall and spring and two during the summer. Blood is one of the most used supplies in hospitals all around the world, according to the Cedar-Sinai website, “Patients need nearly 60,000 blood products at Cedars-Sinai every year.” This number doesn’t include all of the hospitals around the world. The website also notes that just one donation of blood can save three lives.
Cedars-Sinai has been partnering with Cypress College for over a decade according to Garcia. Cedars-Sinai relies on blood donations to help supply their trauma centers. As a non-profit, donations are much more valuable. Non-donated blood is required to be purchased from the Red Cross.“We used to get around 120 students pre-pandemic and now get around 40 per day,” said Garcia.
Blood is needed for many medical operations, including chemotherapy, anemia, and common surgeries. However, blood supply needs to be constantly updated, with more than 38,000 donations needed daily. 38% of Americans are eligible for blood donations, and only 2% of them actually donate.
“I wanted to help the community” stated Cynthia Andrade, a Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) major about why she was donating. After her appointment, Andrade said that she felt fine and that the appointment was simple. “I recommend others look into donating,” said Andrade.
Requirements to donate blood include a photo ID, being in good health, a minimum age of 17 years old, and weighing at least 110 pounds just to name a few. According to the Cedars-Sinar website, donation appointments can take up to an hour, with the blood drawing taking around 15 minutes.
If you are interested in donating at the blood drive on campus, visit cedar-sinai.org/giveblood, click on the give blood tab, and enter the group code: CYC to set up an appointment for the drive. You can also look into other opportunities to donate on the site.
