Written by: Mia Cooper
Since January is National Blood Donor Month, we spoke to Becky Ebling who is the Director of Events and internal communication at the Brown School of Public Health. Becky has worked to organize multiple blood drives at both the School of Public Health and at a local YMCA in Cranston. She has provided us with valuable insight on the process of taking part in a blood drive. Asking a person to donate blood carries a lot more weight than asking somebody to complete a survey since giving blood is something a donor has to plan around. Donating may lead to minute energy depletion and mild discomfort that may affect their daily routine. That being said, donating blood is a key piece of healthcare and a great way to participate in community health.
Although there are some minor barriers to donating blood, the entire process is surprisingly easy and important. Most blood drives take walk-ins and appointments, but it's best to block out 45 minutes to an hour of time to complete the process. The first step is some paperwork and intake questions. Although there are no qualifications to give blood, there are some factors that may affect an individual's ability to donate such as illness, pregnancy, iron deficiency or specific medications such as blood thinners. Donors may also take their lifestyle choices into consideration. For example, vegetarians follow a diet that can lead to iron deficiency and may want to discuss with a healthcare professional before donating.
After the intake, donors will get their blood pressure taken and receive a finger prick to check for iron deficiency. If the donor is all set, they are taken to a private area to get their blood drawn. Becky explained how this can be the most nerve wracking part, especially for those that don’t like needles. “People tend to be really nervous because they don’t know if it will hurt for how long…but it's really easy”, Becky shared, “Somebody always stays with you and chats while you're donating. After the initial pinch, it doesn’t hurt anymore!”. Becky also enthusiastically added that the donation usually finishes with a cookie or a fun snack!

When asking Becky what is the biggest barrier or hesitation to giving blood, she mentioned two things. The first and most obvious reason is that people are afraid it is going to hurt and don’t know how it is going to affect them. Most people avoid the doctor or regular vaccines out of fear of needles making it unlikely that they would take up a voluntary opportunity to be placed in this situation. This leads us to the second, more complex issue regarding public health initiatives: donating blood is entirely voluntary, as individuals are asked to do so in their own time, without any obligation. This may lead to non-compliance or just a disinterest in the average person. We hope to counter this however by emphasizing the important and lasting effects that donating blood has. Hospitals use donated blood for transfusions after accidents, surgeries, childbirth or to aid individuals with blood disorders or going through cancer treatments. Forty-five minutes of your time could save up to three lives with just one pint of blood donated, making a truly powerful case for the impact of blood donation.
“At our last blood drive at Brown we had 9 people”, Becky shared, “which means if each person gave 1 pint, 27 lives were saved. For more information about your blood drive journey- check out the American Red Cross page “What Happens to Donated Blood”. Brown University School of Public Health will be holding a blood drive on March 12th 2025. Make sure to keep up with Brown's social medias to find out more information and sign up to be a part of the next drive.
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