By Lea Hartley and Danny Mullane
Staff Writers
Neshaminy’s National Honor Society has been having their annual blood drive for years, and now it is time once again to continue its charitable tradition. It will be taking place on Dec 18.
Blood donation is fairly important in the medical world, according to the American Red Cross. 41,000 blood donations are needed every day and there are 30 million blood transfusions each year in America alone. One in three American need a blood transfusion of some sort in their lives.
Blood donation not only brings benefits to the patient in need, but to the donor as well. All those involved in the donation drive enjoy a free health physical that checks for pulse, blood pressure, and hemoglobin levels. The blood is also pre-screened for 13 different infectious diseases, including West Nile Virus and HIV. Blood donors, according to the American Journal of Epidemiology, also have an 88% decreased chance of suffering a heart attack.
But with all the benefits that come to the patient and donor, why may those under the age of 16 not donate blood, as eager as they may be, to aid those in need? A report by “The Journal of American Medical Association” has found that despite the age group of 16 – 19 years supplying 15% of the total blood donations a year there are increasing health risks, the younger the donor is, the more fainting and bruising occurs. The risks are greater for the 16 – 17 age groups also, which is three times more likely to suffer such complications as older teens, and 14 times more likely than those over the age of 20.
