The Meek Blood Center bloodmobile will visit campus Friday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. to continue a blood drive that was interrupted by inclement weather.
The bloodmobile was originally supposed to be on campus earlier this month but was forced to delay the drive due to the icy conditions in early March.
“At the fall blood drive we saw 57 donors, and last year’s spring drive we saw 88,” said Frances Baker, marketing and business development manager. “I feel like if we could have gone for the full time, we probably would have seen as many donors.”
The icy conditions posed a threat to the blood center’s donations because of the testing that must be done to each sample within 48 hours of being donated.
“If we can’t get our tubes to the testing facility, then that would waste that donation,” Baker said. “This year, I think we’ve had about five days that we’ve had to stop donations early or not open at all.”
The bloodmobile has blood drives at several places throughout Abilene and visits ACU, McMurry and Hardin-Simmons once every fall and spring semester.
The Meek Blood Center provides the blood collected at drives to 17 hospitals in a 13-county area.
“All the blood that we collect is to be transfused to hospital patients with a variety of needs: cancer patients, trauma victims, surgical patients and sometimes premature babies,” Baker said.
Samone Smith, sophomore Bible and political science major from Indianapolis, said she donated to the Meek bloodmobile her freshman year.
“It was really pleasant, but because I have small veins, we had to poke around a little more,” Smith said. “Even so, I actually enjoyed the experience of giving. I plan to donate this year, too.”
Smith said donating is something important for students to do.
“I think it’s really important to emphasize that donating blood is a really simple and proactive way to live out the mission of Christ,” she said. “You can’t always go out to other parts of the world and tell people about Jesus, but you show people Jesus when you give them something like life.”
Baker said blood donation is an easy way to serve Abilene and the surrounding community.
“When blood is needed, it’s needed right then, and all of the blood we collect is from volunteer donors,” Baker said. “It’s just a really wonderful act of volunteerism and a wonderful way of sharing the blessing of good health.”
All students are welcome to donate at the Meek Blood Center bloodmobile Friday which will be parked between the Brown Library and the Hardin Administration Building.
