By Julia Kim

Staff Writer

National Honor Society partnered once again with Carter BloodCare to organize the blood drive at CHS that took place in the south gym on Wednesday, Oct. 7. This was the first of two blood drives at the high school, the next to follow in spring.

NHS officers volunteered at the blood drive along with professionals from Carter BloodCare to host a successful drive.

Although students had the option to do walk-ins, most began signing up a week before in preparation for the event.

“This is actually my second time giving blood,” senior Grayson Akerly said. “I saw upperclassmen doing it and I wanted to be a part of that.”

NHS students also benefitted from donating blood.

“Students will receive one service hour for donating blood and half an hour for each person they recruit that is not a member of NHS,” NHS sponsor Jeb Puryear said.

However, despite the necessity of attracting donors, students had to be at least 16 years old, weigh over 110 pounds and be in good health. Other requirements are parental consent for students under the age of 17 and presentation of a photo ID on donation day. Carter BloodCare recommends eating a meal and drinking plenty of fluids before students donated.

After the donation, the organization suggests avoiding strenuous activity for 12 hours at minimum and refrain from smoking or consuming alcohol.

Students have the traditional option of withdrawing a pint of blood or participating in an automated blood donation known as apheresis. With apheresis, blood is drawn from the arm into a centrifuge which spins the blood to separate the components of blood which are differentiated by weight and density. The needed blood components are withdrawn, and the remaining blood is returned to the donor.

“Apheresis takes the double reds and returns the plasma,” Roberta Johnson of Carter BloodCare said. “This process usually takes 30 to 45 minutes, and the retrieved components are used to treat babies and cancer and trauma patients.”

Both procedures take approximately an hour beginning with registration and a health history. Physicians then proceed to conduct a brief physical examination before they withdraw blood, a process that takes just under 10 minutes.

“The mini-physical is an examination of the blood to determine if the donor is eligible to donate blood. The blood pressure, temperature and hemoglobin count are recorded; however, donors are only allowed to give blood if the hemoglobin level is higher than 12.5,” Johnson said.

In addition to the saving lives, there is another incentive with giving blood this year. The Red Cord Honors Program for seniors is a program intended to reward seniors for saving lives. Seniors who wish to receive this recognition are required to give blood twice during the school year and are then honored at graduation with additional cords- this time a strand of red.