Be someone’s hero today
FMU’s Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity hosted a blood drive on Jan. 29 in conjunction with the American Red Cross.
TKE typically hosts two blood drives per semester on the lawn located across from the Grille. This is the fifth year TKE has hosted blood drives at FMU.
TKE usually expects about 50 donors, which would give them 50 units of blood. However, most of the time they do not meet this number, and the number of donors for this blood drive was lower than their usual amount.
First-year student Briana Barnes said this was her first time donating blood and it was a good experience. She was one of about 15 people who donated blood.
“Giving blood is a good thing to do because people need blood when they have surgery and they usually need more blood and that blood comes from donors,” Barnes said.
First-year student Kwadasia Spruill echoed Barnes’ sentiments.
“It’s good to give blood because you can save another person’s life,” Spruill said. “If I was in need of blood, I would want someone to do it for me.”
There are several requirements for donating blood; you cannot be HIV positive, you must have a certain iron level and you must be a certain weight and age. Also, the Red Cross does not accept donations from those suffering from infectious diseases, and those who have lived in or traveled to a country with malaria risk in the past three years.
Blood can only be donated every 56 days, and if you have tattoos, it must be done in a licensed facility.
The American Red Cross takes the donations to a facility in Columbia where they are processed and then shipped to local hospitals throughout South Carolina.
According to the Red Cross website, blood donations help people of all ages, including those who have been in accidents, burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant survivors and also those battling cancer. The Red Cross website says that every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.
Students looking to donate blood can check FMU’s calendar, located on the FMU website, which has more information on upcoming blood drives, contact a member of TKE or visit the Red Cross website.
