I saved three lives today! Hi, my name is Ela Dougherty, and today I donated blood. I have donated blood several times, but I was shocked to learn that when donating blood, it is split into three parts, allowing three people in need to benefit. At Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) holds its blood drives in two days because of the number of donors: 159 people donated blood on our campus on September 9th and 10th of this month. That means we saved 477 lives in only two days! Last year, our campus had 527 total donations, which means 1581 lives were saved!

I recently spoke with Leslie Flurry, an account consultant/donor recruiter who has worked with OBI since last August. She informed me that OBI, which covers part of Texas, part of Arkansas, and all of Oklahoma, has a goal of 1200 donations per day to supply the hospitals with the amount of blood needed. 1200 donors a day! My mind was blown at the need in our area! Those people could be our parents, siblings, grandparents, neighbors, people we see in church, or the guy who greets us at Walmart.

This blood is needed. I know some of you have never donated before, so here’s some basics before you go. It is essential that you eat a hearty meal and drink plenty of water both before and after you donate. When you get there, they ask a series of questions about your health history, then they can take your temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and hemoglobin levels. That means they prick your finger to see if you have enough iron to donate. I actually read an article in the New York Times that almost 35 percent of young women struggle with their iron levels. I was sweating bullets that they would prick my finger, tell me my iron was low, and send me home again. (I have been sent away the last two times.) When she said I was good, I did a little happy dance inside! From there, they walk you over to a bed, where some of the coolest phlebotomists I’ve ever met guide you through the rest of the process. Then they give you a free T-shirt and snacks! Personally, I’m there for the Nutter Butters!

Keep your eyes peeled for the next blood drive in December! I hope to see you there!