On March 23, 2016, I donated blood to the Red Cross for the second time in college. I wanted to do it in high school, but there are specific restrictions and back then I wasn’t old enough, tall enough, or heavy enough.

Red Cross Procedures

First, I set an appointment, filled out a form with all my information, and then I had to take a basic physical. On my first donation they gave me a green sticker to wear. This meant I was a first-timer. They told me I had a faint pulse and he couldn’t hear it well enough to take my blood pressure. In other words, Someone else had to take a listen. Then they pricked my finger to see if my iron levels were good. It was a 14.8 and they said it was acceptable. I went through an online evaluation to see if I qualified to give blood and I did.

The Red Cross volunteer sterilized my arm, inserted the needle, but she missed the vein and had to adjust it. In about 8 minutes the bag was full. In other words, the blood was ready to be tested, distributed, and potentially save three lives. I had to stay a few extra minutes after donating to make sure I was okay. They provide snacks and drinks at the end of your donation.

I set another appointment shortly after before I left. As a bonus, we also got a free shirt and $5 gift card. I enjoyed giving blood because I support the cause and definitely am doing it again.

Be nice to me. I GAVE BLOOD TODAY.

Do you Donate Blood?

Since this article, I have donated whole blood six times and switched to platelet donation. Contact me at honeybunnytwee@gmail.com to tell me about your American Red Cross experience.