NEIU student Natalie Gallegos has been coordinating blood drives for a while now—this was her fourth one. Coordinated with Gallegos and others, this drive was hosted by the Future Health Professionals student organization, in early March.
She worked closely with Versiti, the organization that draws blood at the drive. She spent a lot of time trying to bring people from NEIU’s community together to donate, “I kind of try to gather everyone in NEIU’s community and try to convince them if they can donate some blood for us—not too much,” Gallegos said.
For many students, the idea of donating blood can be daunting. However, Michelle Fan, an undergraduate biology student and blood donor, sees it as an opportunity to make a difference. This was not Fan’s first time donating blood. In fact, it was her third, “I think I donated like at least twice before,” Fan recalled.
“What motivated me was [that] I wanted to help save lives,” Fan said. “And I feel like I am healthy, and I want to help people who are in need of blood and want to get their body stronger.”
A lot of activities went into making a blood drive happen, let alone successful. Gallegos explained that she coordinates with a representative from Versiti throughout the semester to set a date. After that, she and her team work hard to spread the word. “I tend to put out flyers,” Gallegos said. “Me and my group of Future Health Professionals—we try to post it as much as we can on Instagram. I try really hard to send out emails to our previous donors.”
Attendance can be unpredictable, “We could have a lot of appointments, but that doesn’t mean a lot of them will come or donate blood,” Gallegos admitted. During the Fall 2024 semester, they had a great turnout—about 20 people donated blood. But at the time of Gallegos’ comments, only two people had donated so far. Still, she kept a positive outlook, “For each person that comes and donates, it’s three lives that are being saved. So whether we get one person or two people, it’s one of the best things that I think.”
Despite Fan’s willingness to give, she admitted to feeling nervous about the process, “I was prepared—I was ready, I ate, I drank, I was hydrated,” Fan explained. “But then during the process, I didn’t like needles or blood, so I was nervous. But the lady who helped me—she was really funny. She calmed me down, and it was just a smooth process.”
When it comes to the challenges of blood donation, “On the day of, it’s really hit or miss,” Gallegos said. People sign up, but they might not show up, or they might be unable to donate for health reasons, “It’s one of the things that kind of sucks because in the fall, we had about eight appointments, [and] this semester we have about six appointments.”
The donation process itself took about 30 minutes. Donors were provided with refreshments, including water, orange juice, cookies and chips. The staff asked her to stay if she felt any dizziness, “But I felt fine, and they said I could just leave,” Fan said.
“When I first started coordinating this, I kind of thought like ‘Oh, when you donate for example a pint of blood, it’s just going to go to one person,’” Gallegos said. “When in reality, it’s going to three people!”
Fan’s commitment to blood donation extended to a personal connection to her grandmother, “She was ill and she needed [a] blood transfusion, but she had a specific type,” Fan said. “I think I’m a B-positive or B-negative, and my blood couldn’t be transferred into hers.”
“I was just speaking to this one lady and she came up to me, and she [said] ‘I can’t donate for health reasons,’” Gallegos said. Not everyone is eligible to donate, and Gallegos understood that sentiment firsthand. She herself couldn’t donate for a couple of reasons. “Okay, if I can’t donate, then I’m going to coordinate, so then other people can help donate [blood].” It can take a full 8 weeks in order to donate again.
Whether someone donates or just stops by to support, it makes a difference. Showing up, volunteering, being supportive and encouraging others to donate blood helps the cause. In other words, “I feel like as a community—us just coming together and showing up is more important,” Gallegos said.
For NEIU students, staff and faculty who are hesitant about donating, Fan offered some words of encouragement. “I would say to not be nervous because that was my initial emotion,” Fan said. “So after I did my first donation, I felt really good.” Versiti sent her an email and later emailed her how it helped the recipients of the donated blood.
Gallegos wants people to know that donating isn’t as intimidating as it might seem, “You can go through the whole process, and at some point they might tell you ‘No you can’t donate,’” she said. “But I feel like just you showing up or even volunteering itself [is sufficient].”
“Just donate if you can. Help save lives,” Fan said. For those interested in donating blood, check with local donation centers and campus events and emails to find an opportunity to give back to the community.
