Give blood to give back to the community

With my muscles tense, slightly sweating and extremely nervous, I walked into the Student Success Center knowing there was no turning back.

As I entered, a girl handed me a small white sticker with “2:32;” I became a red file folder full of forms lost in a sea of students.

For the first time I was donating blood to the Red Cross and I felt that everyone in the room could hear my thoughts as I recieved a cheerful sticker labeling me a virgin blood-giver. “Be nice to me, I am donating for the first time,” it said. I might as well have been wearing a banner that stated I was scared.

I was stressed and apprehensive; the mere thought of needles and blood everywhere was enough to give me an anxiety attack. I can barely sit through the slightly medically graphic portions of Grey’s Anatomy.

Needless to say, the horror of a blood-sucking vampire type experience had already begun to pierce my thoughts.

I was ushered toward a series of chairs, where I continued to snake my way through a line of people; all were seeking the call “next, please” from a nurse beckoning from behind a curtain-enclosed cubicle.

Some time passed, and I continued to grow more nervous.Why did I voluntarily subject myself to this needle-ridden nightmare?

Finally I was called back, and I meekly sauntered over to enter the small partition. The nurse screened me with a series of rapid-fire questions, and despite my international travel setbacks, I breezed through the process and tried to relax.

The next series of events happened rather swiftly, with a quick prick of my finger, a print-out and a smile of reassurance, the nurse informed me I was clear to donate. With several tubes and bag in hand I was pointed toward yet another line. My apprehension slowly began to subside as I looked around the line surrounded by familiar faces and students just like myself.

I reassured myself that I wanted to volunteer and help those who desperately needed the donation.

It was comforting to see an outpouring of Tech students who felt the same way, and besides, everyone else in the room seemed to be calm and collected. A few friends joined me, so I was not alone; they supported me and the cause as well. Finally I ended at the front of the line and soon found myself reclining in a chair ready to give blood.

I was in the hands of a really nice nurse who made me relax through the process. As a first-time donor, I was nothing short of a spectacle. My nurse laughed at me for being nervous, she called me Beyonce, she sent me to the “Canteen” to fuel up on water before being poked, she serenaded me with “Sweet Home Alabama” and she cracked several jokes.

Soon I was truly relaxed and was pumping blood without a second thought. My fear of needles and blood subsided with the care of my nurse and the support of all the surrounding students donating at Tech.

The entire procedure ended relatively quickly, and I was outfitted with a blue and green bow from my nurse for being so good. I enjoyed some delicious cookies and juice and collected many more stickers in celebration of completing the donation.

My whole apprehensive predisposition seemed absurd in retrospect. Giving blood was an easy process and an important way to volunteer in the community. The Red Cross claims I helped to save three lives with my donation.

If you absolutely cannot donate blood, whether from fear or the inability to pass the Red Cross screening, there are other ways that you can volunteer right here on campus.

From volunteering to help out a student in need of academic help to promoting awareness around critical issues to cleaning up campus to frequenting the neighboring school systems as a mentor to walking all night around a track to serving as a financial resource for those who need it most to donating clothing to countless other efforts, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and give back to others.

Being a volunteer is a healthy outlet from the strenuous academic demands at Tech and allows you to impact your community in a positive way. I entertain the notion that by reaching out to others, you will only feel better about yourself. Serving as a volunteer is worth your time.

If I could leave you anything from my experience, I hope I can shed light on the donation process and relieve any anxiety of individuals hesitating to donate on the account of fear lingering around needles—the donation is absolutely needed, and we as a college community can help.