There was a blood drive at Eleanor Roosevelt High School Gym held by the INOVA Blood Drive on November 15, 2022. To donate for a good cause, many students participated in the INOVA blood drive that came into the ERHS, to receive blood donations from staff and students. Parent consent forms for students were given out three weeks prior and the sign up sheet began to fill itself up as time slots were from 8am to the afternoon.  There were students who volunteered to assist in the “Sign-in” desk, by having participants sign in and fill out medical questionnaires. Shirts for anyone who showed up, even if their vitals weren’t adequate for donating, received a tie dye shirt. Assistance was provided by volunteers after one donated blood and they were sent to lay down and rest on a mat. Snacks, juice, and water were provided immediately after. After a couple of minutes, students were able to go back to class well!

The medical practitioners began by examining the vitals of each individual, including their hemoglobin levels. There were some who had too low of an iron level and were deferred from donating. Jasmine Argueta, 11th grade student, had intentions of donating her blood but was deferred from doing so when she was told her “iron was too low to be able to donate.” She was “scared but glad” of being informed. Noemi Melendez had a similar experience where she felt excited to donate, but was informed she had low iron levels. She states that “on the bright side, I got informed of something I have to take care of now, like my iron levels.”

Unlike her, students like Aaliyna Patel Samuel Romero both felt proud of being approved to donate. Aaliyna recalls how she felt “a bit jittery before donating since it was [her} first time.” She does describe feeling “grateful for the opportunity and ability to be able to donate” her blood to the blood drive. Many students expressed a thoughtful feeling once they were able to donate with the idea that one day someone in need of the blood, whether they are a loved one or a stranger, will make good use of it for their benefit. 

Not only did the blood drive motivate students to be able to participate in donating their blood, but it promoted good actions to benefit the community, or those in need. Many students and staff supported this event at ERHS, and some even look forward to donating again or future blood drives. Many community members at ERHS hope to see another blood drive in the Spring of the 2022-2023 school year. For those students still interested in donating blood, or continuing to donate, some centers for donation include the Glen Burnie Red Cross Blood and Platelet Donation Center, Children’s National Hospital, and Vitalant locations.