Blood drive's 1st day draws 100 donors

by Christopher Sanchez

Daily Lobo

UNM student Veronica Soliz tells her friends not to be afraid - it only hurts for two seconds.

"Stubbing your toe hurts more," Soliz said. "Just try it."

Soliz was one of 100 people who participated in the first day of a blood drive on Monday in the SUB Ballroom. United Blood Services and ASUNM Community Experience are sponsoring the two-day blood drive that continues today.

Soliz said she found out about the blood drive two hours before she donated. It had been a long time since she last donated blood, and it was convenient to donate on campus, she said.

"I don't know anyone who has ever needed blood before, but it's been something my family has always done," she said. "It's my good deed for a while."

Chelsea Armstrong, director of Community Experience, said this is the third year Community Experience has organized the blood drive.

"It's something everybody can do. It doesn't cost money and people can participate and it saves lives," she said.

Donna Diller, donor recruitment representative for United Blood Services, said the blood drive is two days because it gives people an extra day to donate.

"It gives people a chance," she said. "People come through and say they are busy and ask if they can come back tomorrow. It gives more flexibility for people who are going to donate."

Diller said it generally takes 45 minutes to donate blood because potential donors must receive a small physical, where blood pressure, pulse, temperature and iron content are checked. The potential donor must also complete a questionnaire regarding their health, travel and lifestyle, she said.

"Once they've gone through the questionnaire, they go on to donate, which takes 10 to 15 minutes with the actual needle in their arm," she said. "We ask them to stay around 15 minutes and make sure they're feeling OK."

After the process, donors were given doughnuts and juice. Diller said she didn't know how many people were turned away because they did not meet requirements.

"It's very important for us to come back with what we say we're going to get, because the orders are basically already placed with that blood," she said. "There are people waiting."

United Blood Services serves 42 hospitals in New Mexico, Diller said, and it is important to meet par because doctors would have to cancel surgeries.

"It can get to the point where there is no blood for that emergency, which is what we always try and avoid from happening," she said.

Armstrong said she donates at least twice a year and would like to have United Blood Services come to UNM every eight weeks.

"How cool would it be if they were here every eight weeks on the dot," she said. "It could be a routine."

She said she was hoping to get 150 donors but was happy with the outcome. She hopes to have more than 200 donors for Tuesday's blood drive, she said.

"Everybody seemed happy - I'm happy," she said.

UNM student J.J. Smith donated blood on Monday because he is a regular donor, he said. He said he tells his friends to donate blood.

"I remind them that someday they might need blood," Smith said. "It's a reciprocal thing."