Give Blood, Be Bold and Resolute

2 March 2011Min K

It was a momentous day for Brentwood last Wednesday as the Canadian Blood Services Team set up in the McNeil Center. This would be the first blood clinic ever hosted by the school and, hopefully, not the last. We had a total of 91 donors sign up to give blood and a whole SPARC support crew waiting to give comfort for those who were nervous.
Despite the snowstorm which prevented some nurses from arriving (as a result, the clinic fell behind schedule) it was amazing to see how dedicated the Brentwood community was. Everyone showed support, whether it was by holding a hand or chatting up a storm. The clinic ran from 1:30pm to 8:00pm and, in the end, we were able to collect 33 units of blood! We had 51 new donors (most clinics have at most, 8) and the fullest clinic that the Canadian Blood Services Team had ever seen! We also had many keeners who wished that they were 17 so that they could participate too. Wait until next year! We lost a few donors (no—no one died!) for things like low iron, having a sore throat, or having visited exotic parts of the globe. We know that the screening process is thorough! We learned that small veins can be the result of drinking the WRONG liquids before donating—water is good, but caffeinated drinks, such as cola, coffee and tea cause dehydration. If you’re thinking of donating next time—plump up your veins by drinking water and fortify your blood by eating heme iron (beef, lamb, pork, liver, dark chicken meat, fish, seafood) or non-heme iron (whole grain bread or pasta, lentils, beans, nuts, raisins, dark green leafy veggies and eggs) . If your iron is low it takes a few weeks for it to increase with these diet changes. For all those friends and SPARC members who supported those who donated – thank you. For all those who attempted to donate – thank you! For the 33 people who had their bag of blood carted away to the blood bank – thank you! Thanks for your dedication, initiative and patience. It was an amazing experience and one we would not hesitate to repeat again. The Blood Team, Min K, Noud H, and Sophie C

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