Red Cross vists campus to collect blood

Each time people donate blood, they save the lives of three people they have never met.

On Tuesday, the American Red Cross was on campus, trying to save as many lives as possible.

“We’re here to keep our hospitals supplied,” said Lindsey Mortier, donor recruitment representative for the Great Lakes region.

After the blood is collected, it is sent to Ohio to be processed. Everything collected at Central Michigan University, however, will eventually end up back in Michigan, supplying around 70 hospitals state-wide, Mortier said.

“It’s partnering with a life saving mission. What better thing to do than say you saved a life?” she said.

Of all the blood collected in the United States, Mortier said about 20 percent of it comes from college students, making visits to CMU very important.

“We really rely on our universities to pull through for us,” she said.

Students such as Chesaning freshman Brittney Henige are some of the people the Red Cross relies on.

“I’m healthy enough to donate blood,” said Henige, a second-time donor.

Henige, who is working on a speech about donating blood, finds it important to donate based on how few people actually do.

“Only four out of 100 people who can donate actually do it,” she said.

Elijah McIntosh is one of the phlebotomists who was present to help collect the blood.

“Something exciting I’ve found is that people give freely to help other people,” he said. “They aren’t here asking for money. That’s rewarding to me.”

McIntosh has been collecting blood for nine years and feels it is as important as always.

However, not all the students who wanted to donate blood were able to do it.

Brittany Williams, a Mount Pleasant sophomore, was attempting to donate for a second time. Having gotten a new tattoo just three months ago, however, she was not allowed to.

There are many reasons people may be denied when trying to give blood. A donor cannot have gotten a tattoo in the previous 12 months. Donors must weigh between 110 and 400 pounds, be at least 17 years old, cannot be taking antibiotics, cannot have cold symptoms and have to have not donated for at least 56 days.

The limited donor pool has caused Williams to want to donate when she is once again eligible.

“To be able to give something so important without any sort of stress or pain yourself is important,” she said.

The next blood drive will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday in the Sweeney Hall basement lobby.

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