Would you give 10 minutes to save up to three people? Mobile unit at RCTC Feb. 1 and 2
By Piper Fuller
Echo Staff Writer
While donating blood is not something most college students consider, Adam Stewart hopes you will.
Stewart is a blood donation coordinator at Mayo Clinic. He’s witnessed a troubling decline in blood donations over the past few years as the COVID-19 pandemic kept people out of donation centers. Now that the dust has settled, Stewart said, people are not coming back to donate in pre-pandemic numbers.
“Hospitals are full,” he said, “and blood is needed again for elective surgeries that were pushed back because of Covid-19…there are seven days in a week and we only collect on five of those days.” Winter road conditions, with increased accidents, also contribute to the need for more donors this time of year, he said..
While 38% of Americans are eligible to donate blood, according to Cedars-Sinai, a nonprofit California hospital, only 2% donate regularly.
Stewart understands that students might feel queasy even thinking about donating blood, especially if they’re not fond of needles. While worry surrounding the process is common, it’s actually a quick process. “The actual blood draw typically takes 10 minutes, and the entire process only takes an hour.” Stewart said.
And the benefits are many. One is that students get a free basic physical, which includes checks of blood pressure, hemoglobin levels, and screening for blood diseases. In addition, donating blood has been shown to be a positive social force that strengthens community bonds. Several organizations, including the Red Cross, offer small gift cards or treats as an incentive to donate.
Donation centers welcome all blood types. Blood and platelets cannot be manufactured; they can only come from volunteer donors, Stewart said.
Due to the constant need, blood drives and donation sites are easy to find. The Red Cross has special drives and sites across Minnesota. Learn more about The Red Cross here; Blood Donation Process Explained | Red Cross Blood Services They work with smaller organizations, schools, and individuals to host blood drives. The Mayo Clinic has two donation areas, one located in the Hilton Building and one in the Saint Mary’s Hospital building. Learn more about the Mayo Clinic blood donor program; Minnesota Blood Donor Program – Mayo Clinic
RCTC student Piper Fuller is a regular blood donor. Click here to learn more about why Piper donates. (YouTube video produced by Echo staff writer Jessica Cormican).
RCTC will be hosting blood drives Feb 1 and 2, ,using Mayo Clinic’s new mobile donation bus. The bus will be parked outside of door 6 in the East Lot. This will be the debut of the mobile donation center with the goal of making donating blood easy and efficient for students, Stewart said.
Appointments are preferred and help the Mayo Clinic blood donation organization gauge students’ interest. Book appointments by calling Adam Stewart at 507-284-4475 or by emailing him at stewart.adam@mayo.edu.