Donating blood for the first time was scary and yet I knew that I was doing the

right thing to save

someone’s life one day

I was a senior in high school 2017 the month of February Red Cross had asked our school

if we were willing to donate blood to help people in need of blood. We as a school were more

than happy to help them get some blood. My best friend Keaton told me “You’re crazy I hate

needles and I can't donate for that reason.” I tried to convince Keaton to come donate with me

and even told him we could skip class while donating which was true. I signed up around 1:30

o'clock a bit after lunch. Keaton sadly did not donate with me because of his fear, but he did

support me in helping those who needed blood. The thought of a needle plunging deep inside of

my skin it was horrible, but I knew I was doing something that could save someone's life.

When it was time to leave my class I was a bit nervous, but I went anyway to donate. The

A nurse asked me a few medical questions and asked where I lived. When all the information

was taken I was ready to donate. Another nurse helped me to sit on a chair and told me okay here

comes the needle I looked away and closed my eyes. Once the needle was in a feeling of light

headedness swept me I felt my head spinning in circles like in a carnival ride, but it passed very

quick, and I felt alright when I was done filling the bag. Once I was done, they patched my arm

up I sat down drank some orange juice and ate a double chocolate chip cookie and I was on my

way back to class. I thought to myself “something so quick like that can really save someone's

life? That is so wild!”

When I made it back to my ceramics class my teacher was sitting at front looking at

everyone doing their projects. I spoke with my teacher if I could just relax after giving blood and
she asked me if my box was done which I replied with “it’s ready to be thrown in the kiln”. She

told me it was okay to relax since I gave some blood and was done with most of my project.

After a couple of weeks have passed after the blood drive, I was on my way home when

my mom called me and asked me to get the mail. When I got home from my walk from school, I

opened the box to find a few letters (most likely bills) for my parents and one addressed to me. I

thought to myself “why am I getting mail?” I take it inside and I began reading. This little card

was a thank you from red cross saying that my blood was used to help better someone’s life.

Wow I never thought they would have used it so quickly hence why the school asked us to

donate blood.

The Red Cross says there's a blood shortage nationwide. Here's how you can help posted January

11 2022 https://www.npr.org/2022/01/11/1072154905/red-cross-blood-crisis-pandemic