American Red Cross hosts local blood drive Monday

Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Blood donor Adriana Abrantes noted that donating blood has been a family tradition. She started donating at age 15.
Photo by Lisa Hinkle | Daily Mail

The American Red Cross held a blood drive at Cottey College's Haidee and Allen Wild Center for the Arts Building on Monday, March 27.

During an interview, Team Lead/Blood Collector Eduardo Armirez revealed their goal was to collect 25 pints in the drive. He also shared that 20 pints had already been collected and he felt they would meet their target. Additionally, Armirez mentioned that they had three Power Red donors thus far and that the blood types in most demand were O+, O-, and B-. He urged people to donate blood, explaining how one pint can help up to three patients, and suggested visiting americanredcross.org to locate the nearest donation center. Armirez expressed his appreciation to everyone who took the time to donate.

While Adriana Abrantes, a student at Cottey College, donated blood, she noted that her mother began donating blood when Abrantes was 10-years-old. Her aunt was fighting cancer at the time and required blood transfusions. When Abrantes' mother discovered she had the same blood type as her aunt, she started donating blood to help. Abrantes followed her mother's example and began donating blood at the age of 15. She and her mother went as a "Mom and Daughter Team" to donate blood together. When asked if she had any words to share, Abrantes stated, "It's not as scary as a person thinks it is." She added, "It only stings for a second, and it only takes 10-15 minutes at the most for the process to be done." Abrantes emphasized the importance of blood donation, stating that it helps save lives.

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