By james art In 1969, former President Richard Nixon announced in January a month of a National Blood Donor-time to raise awareness of the need for bloodssetting and to assist those who are struggling with blood-related diseases or patients, patients, recovering from severe injuries.
In his official declaration, Nixon noted that the efforts of the US Red Cross – the largest blood supplier in the country – and the American Blood Banks Association, a non -profit purpose that sets standards for transfusions and banking, combined with technological progress, led to A constant increase in the number of voluntary blood donors.
In UC Irvine, the blood donor center hosted a driving on the campus on January 8 and 9, striving to attract more students in days when there was an excess of nurses and officers. According to the head of the UCI Blood Donor Donor Donor, approximately 70% of the donors in the center are students, the rest being including the residents of staff and Irvine.
A US adult poll has shown that only 15% of students give blood in 2021. From 2019 to 2021, donations from persons from 19 to 24 years have decreased by about 3%. According to the blood centers of America and the Association for Blood Donor Professionals, the reduced donations from those aged 16 to 24 may be related to the limitations placed on blood drives in school campuses in 2021, mainly as a result of the pandemic of the pandemic Covid-19. “
January tends to be a challenging time for blood centers due to the low turnout, influenced by the holiday season and winter diseases. This leads to a lack of blood, which creates a challenge for banks and hospitals in the blood to receive blood for surgical procedures and other medical treatments.
To increase the turnout of the donors, the UCI Blood donor Center offered $ 10 gift cards with a shirt or a bag for each donor throughout January instead of a normal $ 5 gift amount.
However, some donors went to the center of their desire to help, not the lure of gifts.
The frequent donor and study of the Social Science School graduated from analyst Jana Virgilio donates blood every few months. She donated for the first time in her 30s.
“I think my mother probably inspired me because she donated blood and platelets. And so I just thought O, I can do it. And then I donated platelets once before, but it was just just blood, “Virgilio told New University. “I know that I can and people need it. And I feel like this, since I can, I will do it, there is no reason why I can’t do it. So I think, you know, it’s important for me to do it while I’m able. “
Jennifer Choi, an employee of the UCI Film and Media Research Division, usually donates blood to UCI because it is comfortable and close to her workplace, often stops during her lunch break. The first time she donated blood was to accompany a friend who planned to donate and she also donated. Since then, she has visited at least 10 times the UCI blood donor center.
“One of my friend’s sisters really got sick and she needed a lot of blood,” Choi told New University. “I just continued to come here because it was like during the lunch break. And then several times on the Red Cross. This is the easiest way to get back. ”
For people like Uci Junior Junior Jenika Davis women’s football, which was diagnosed with leukemia for the first year in UCI, these donations did everything different.
“I received a lot of blood donations and this is something basic,” Davis told New University. “Then I eventually received a bone marrow transplant and now I’m in remission. My story, I was in the hospital for seven months and all this year I received blood. ”
Those interested in donating blood and platelets can plan meetings at the UCI blood donor center at the Student Center or other donation facility in Irvine.
Clara Carvalho is a trainee for features for the winter 2025 neighborhood. It can be reached [email protected]S
Edited by Kaelyn Kwon and Bianca Marroquin