Students enjoyed hosting the first blood drive at the Texas A&M University School of Engineering Medicine on March 22. Donations support the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center and current needs across the Houston metropolitan area. Donating blood is an important and valuable civic responsibility. Texas has experienced a critical shortage over the past few years and is presently active in replenishing supplies to meet the demands across the state.
“I originally wanted to coordinate an opportunity for Texas A&M students and faculty to help after seeing how limited and vital blood supplies can be in a clinical setting while on my rotations,” said Abby Roth, an EnMed third-year student.
“There are moments when blood transfusions are clearly indicated, but the blood bank has to be smart about who they ration to while they are low on supply,” continued Roth. “After conducting further research, I found that one in seven hospitalized people need a blood transfusion in their lifetime, and only one in 20 eligible donors actually donate. As one of the community service chairs in the EnMed program, I figured hosting a blood drive is such a quick and easy way to help our community and patients.”
The EnMed team rallied to collect 17 donations, which can go toward saving 51 lives.