Samo saves lives one pint at a time

Lily CainCampus Life EditorSamo faculty and students piled into the South Gym on Oct. 15 to donate a total of 200 pints of blood at the first Blood Drive of the year.The donors of ages 16 and up eagerly went during assigned periods to save three lives, simply by donating one pint of blood.“I feel like we have a community of willing students,” event organizer Leilah Franklin said. “It helps lives by donating one pint of blood; why wouldn’t they want to participate?”The extensive screening process rejected people who had recently gotten wet piercings and tattoos or had gone out of the country in the past year. People with anemia and blood disorders were also turned away.“They are asked beforehand of these things and their fingers are pricked and tested,” Franklin said. “Most people are upfront about it, but the blood is completely screened afterwards [to be sure].”Other students were more successful in their donation experience and felt proud for having donated their blood.“A moment of my discomfort saved someone else’s life and it felt amazing,” senior Hannah Squier said.Senior Emily Engle has a different perspective.“Technically I didn’t [donate], because as [the nurse] was taking the needle out, air got in and it got contaminated so they couldn’t use it,” she said. “I was disappointed, because donating is why all the pain is worth it.”With California having one of the lowest blood donations in the country, it is especially important to get students involved.Reasons for donating were many and varied, and for some students the event had a personal significance.“My step-mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and required two blood transfusions,” Franklin said. “It became important for me to help her and other family members by donating blood.”The overall feeling of achievement for donating was apparent throughout the gym. In the words of senior Angelique Huerta, “We’re heroes without the cape.”lcain@thesamohi.com