Houchin Blood Bank made its appearance back to the main BC campus on Aug. 31.
Gina Giuntoli, A Houchin Blood Drive worker, spoke on the importance of donating blood saying, “I think people don’t realize the need that we have for blood. We are always in a blood shortage. We need donations to help our community.”
According to Giuntoli, even one donation can save 3 different lives, which is why she hopes that community members will give just an hour of their time to help save lives.
Giuntoli spoke about what students could expect when donating blood. The first step is to make sure the potential donor is healthy/eligible to donate by filling out a questionnaire, if so, the donor will step inside the bus and be registered. The on-site phlebotomist will then go over the questions you answered, check your iron, and blood pressure. If all looks good, the donor will sit on a bed with their feet elevated and wait to donate blood. The whole process should take 5-10 minutes, said Giuntoli.
When asked about what requirements must be met to donate, Giuntoli said “Iron must be a 12.5 minimum requirement for women, for men it’s 13.0. If you get deferred for iron, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re deferred forever. You usually just need to eat a good meal and come back the next day. We do have a weight requirement of 110 pounds and then your blood pressure does have to be a normal rate to be eligible to donate.”
Giuntoli wants to dispel the common misconception that people cannot donate blood if they have piercings or tattoos saying,“Now you can donate after seven days as long as the piercing is healing well, you’re not taking any antibiotics because of it, and it was done by a licensed artist here in California.”
BC student Robert Giuntoli said his motivation to want to donate was discovering he was a universal donor. To students who might be scared to donate, Giuntoli gives some advice: “You will be fine as long as you are properly fed beforehand.”
Houchin has mobile locations on Bolthouse drive, Oswell St, and Truxtun Avenue. You can check Houchin’s schedule as well as book an appointment on their website. HCBB.com