Colleen Loverde played the part in saving the life of a human being. To do this, she did not need the credentials of a fire fighter or marine, and the act took less than an hour.
Loverde donated blood, and says the experience was one that she does not regret. In Lake Zurich, there is a bulding near Walmart on Rt. 12 called “Lifesource” where teens are always welcome to donate, sometimes without an appointment. Not to mention, LZHS hosts two blood drives in the library every year; one in the fall, one in the spring.
“I was scared at first, because I knew there might be a needle involved, but the process was so drama free and rewarding,” Loverde, senior, said.
Raj Kumar, a phlebotomist (nurse who draws blood) at Lake Zurich’s Lifesource center, says the idea is simple. If you donate some of your blood, you save a life. However, according to the Central Illinois community blood center, there is always a shortage of blood, especially during the summer and holiday seasons.
“Blood is always needed, and it only takes half a liter to save a life,” Kumar said. About one pint is extracted during one blood donation.
In Illinois, 60 percent of the population are able to donate blood, yet only 6 percent do. The central Illinois community blood center explains blood donation is crucial to the survival of patients in surgery and even those battling cancer. Patients suffering from Leukemia need platelets and range of all blood to chose from for procedures like open heart surgery.
Loverde decided to donate blood because she wanted to take a stand against cancer.
“You always hear about how devastating cancer is, and I always wanted to help but didn’t know how,” Loverde said. “By donating blood, I know that that’s going to someone in the middle of surgery, and my blood is going to be one of the reasons why they’ll live.”
However, Kumar says cancer patients are, of course, not the only ones in need of blood donations.
“You can help save a mother and baby during c-sections, a victim of a road accident,” Kumar said. “Anyone who might need surgery.”
According to the Central Illinois center for blood, if a teen starts donating at age 17, they can donate roughly 48 gallons in their lifetime. Approximately as little as 4 pints can be useful during an operation.
“I think it’s so important for people to start donating when they’re young,” Loverde said. “If you can try to make it a habit to save lives.”
While the blood donation process is simple, Kumar notes than donors, especially first time donors, must take precaution before donating.
“You must eat breakfast, and inform the nurse if you feel dizzy or lightheaded,” Kumar said. “Donors who haven’t can faint and so the nurse needs to know how you’re feeling.”
With those requirements taken into account, a donor only needs to fill out registration and a quick questionnaire. The actual extraction of blood takes less than 10 minutes. Loverde says if she knew this, she would have donated and encouraged her friends to donate earlier.
“I didn’t start earlier because I didn’t realize I could donate blood, and I was a little afraid of needles,” loverde said. “But it was easy, and it was so worth it.”