Barely two days into the New Year, some of our very own Academic Magnet students spent part of their afternoon at the American Red Cross Donor Center in West Ashley making someone else’s day better. Giving blood through the Red Cross is such an important activity because that blood can help patients of all ages recover from all kinds of injuries. Bella Costa and Robert Heidenreich are these two amazing students and they have shared what they have learned from this experience.
While being members of Magnet’s Red Cross Club encouraged them to donate blood, Ms. Costa said that she was also encouraged by the f
act that it takes very little time out of her day and by the fact that it can make a “big impact for those in need”. Mr. Heidenreich said that the first time he donated and was really there to get the Snoopy t-shirt they were passing out after. But after seeing how easy it was and all the good it did, he decided to keep donating. And since he turned sixteen, he has donated 11 units of blood, or 1.4 gallons, over the course of 7 donations. He also returns every 112 days to donate power red. When asked about her most recent experience, Ms. Costa said that the appointment went really well and she was in and out in 20 minutes. By filling out her Rapid Pass before her appointment, she was able to reduce the time spent at the donor center. She even said the lady helping her had been with the American Red Cross for thirteen years and was super nice. “They gave me snacks afterwards and were very attentive throughout the process.” Mr. Heidenreich said the same thing about his experience.
When asked how donating her blood made her feel, Bella Costa said “I found that after donating blood, I gained a sense of achievement and a feeling that at sometime and in someplace, I would be helping someone who needed it.” This perfectly sums up why donating blood is so
important, because of all the patients that it can help. But Ms. Costa’s donation was really something special as she recalls “My blood type is B-negative, which is pretty rare and something that only 2% of those belonging to my ethnicity have”. Mr. Heidenreich said But additionally he noted “Additionally, there are medical benefits for myself as the donor, such as the medical screening of my blood I get before my donation or the likely reduction of cardiovascular risk.” One thing that Ms. Costa thinks future donors should know that donating blood does not need to be as taxing as many say. As long as you have a filling meal, drink plenty of water, and get a good night’s rest, the donation process is pretty painless. Mr. Heidenreich encourages those unsure about the process to just try it, because you might just save someone’s life.
