Saving a life can take as little as 15 minutes.
United Blood Services is on campus today collecting blood from students.
"There are probably 250 people in northern New Mexico and the Four Corners region that are waiting for this blood to save their lives," said Anthony Price, donor care specialist.
According to the United Blood Services Web site, one in 20 people donate blood, but more than 80 percent of people will need blood by the time they turn 75.
But not everyone can be a donor.
Price said 20 percent of people were turned away at the SUB Monday, mainly because their pulse rates were too high or their blood pressure was too low.
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Donor care specialists do a short interview to ask for medical history and to check blood pressure, pulse rate and blood hemoglobin levels.
Donors need to have enough red blood cells in their blood to donate.
Community Experience, an Associated Students of UNM subcommittee, is sponsoring the drive.
"We take on half responsibility and let United Blood Services take the other half," said Chelsea Armstrong, associate director.
She said 271 donors were at last year's drive, and said she hopes to get 300 this year.
United Blood Services supplies blood to 42 hospitals around the state. UNM Hospital has one of the highest usages because it has a trauma center, said Donna Diller, donor recruitment representative.
"We help out in other parts of the country when we can," Diller said. "But first and foremost, we're going to make sure our hospitals have the blood they need."
Ten donor specialists were on staff for the blood drive. Each was trained for two to three months and drew about a pint of blood from each donor.
They use 16-gauge needles that are one to two inches long.
"We tell people it's smaller and shorter," Price said, adding most of the fright from donating comes from the needles.
"The patient in the hospital probably has that needle in their arm longer than you're donating," Diller said.
The time it takes to donate blood depends on how easily a donor bleeds.
Chris Vreeland, UNM freshman, donated blood for the fourth time Monday.
"I don't need it," he said. "Other people do, so why not?"
Hospitals ask United Blood Services a month in advance for an estimate of how much blood they can obtain.
Blood has a shelf life of about 44 days, Price said.
"The likelihood that it doesn't get used is very rare," he said.
Six percent of the population has blood type O negative and can donate blood to anyone. Blood type AB is the universal recipient.
In January the blood supply was very low for about three weeks, Price said.
"In some cases, we told hospitals, 'No, there is no blood,'" he said.
Price said when numbers are short, regular donors are called to fill needs.
"It just kind of ripples," he said. "The problem now is we don't get enough new donors."
United Blood Services will return to the University next month for a blood drive sponsored by the Student Nursing Association.
"You feel good knowing you helped save three people's lives," Diller said. "There's not a whole lot else you can do in an hour to save two to three people's lives."
About giving blood
Donors must:
* be 17 years or older
* weigh at least 110 pounds
* have an ID with date of birth,
social security number or donor
number, or a photo ID
* not have donated for eight weeks
You can't donate if you have:
* the cold or flu on day of donation
* taken oral antibiotics in last three days
* had hepatitis after age 11
* been in close contact with a
person who has clinical hepatitis
in last 12 months
* a history of cancer
* non-professional tattoos or ear
or skin piercings in the past
eight months
* been in contact with someone
else's blood in past eight months
* received a blood transfusion in
last 12 months
* had malaria within last three
years
* been pregnant in the past six
weeks
* been treated for syphilis or
gonorrhea in past 12 months
* used a needle to inject
nonprescription drugs
* if there's a possibility you are
infected with HIV
