On February 26th, the Peach Basket Blood Drive will take place. NC students compete against KW students to donate the most blood. Blood donation is used to treat cancer, traumatic injuries and during surgeries. According to the Red Cross, an organization dating back to the Civil War, the blood of one donor can help to save up to three lives. Blood type is hereditary, meaning it is determined by the blood of your parents. Of all the blood types, type O is the rarest in the USA. It also can be given to any blood type making it in high demand. 

NC donors have the option between Whole Blood Donation, during which a vial of blood is taken, and Apheresis Donation, during which more blood is taken, but unneeded parts of your blood are immediately returned to you. Apheresis is in higher demand and may be more useful to a patient than Whole blood. 

Donors are suggested to follow directions provided and to not operate heavy machinery for 12 hours and to wait 24 hours before lifting weights and other strenuous exercise. All blood will be drawn using sterile needles. Additionally, Apheresis donors are given small doses of citrate to prevent blood clotting and a saline solution to hydrate them. It is recommended that frequent donors take an iron supplement to replace iron lost in the donated blood. Donors are not eligible if they have Aids/HIV, have taken illegal drugs, have ever had Ebola, or have been in prison for more than 72 hours in the last year. 

Blood donors will receive notifications of any testing that may be done to their blood. Test results will also be sent to students’ parents and to federal agencies if required by the law. Students who test positive for HIV will be given counseling and physician referrals. These tests are not 100% accurate and may produce false results. Students are also asked not to donate if they have a fever, swollen lymph nodes, a sore throat, or a rash. Testing is done before blood donation to determine donor eligibility. The blood donor must be healthy, otherwise they could pass diseases to the blood recipient. Blood donation can help save many lives.