Fall blood drive at Melissa High collects 124 units, with 100 first-time donors

A fall blood drive at Melissa High School collected 124 units of blood, and 100 of the people who gave had never donated before, Melissa ISD said Wednesday.

The Sept. 30 drive was a partnership between the high school's HOSA chapter and Carter BloodCare. All 185 appointment slots were filled, according to the district.

More than 50 students in the school's health science career and technical education program worked the drive alongside Carter BloodCare's medical staff. The district said junior and senior health science and HOSA students checked donors in and out, handled pre-screening, gave donors information, watched for reactions, walked donors back to class and dealt with problems as they came up.

Carter BloodCare also gave leadership training to the chapter's officers, according to the district.

"A single unit of blood can potentially save three lives," the district wrote, putting the drive's possible reach at up to 372 people in North Texas.

The district described the day as a chance for its health science students to practice real clinical tasks next to professionals, and it credited them with making a difference for patients across North Texas.

Sources

melissaisd.org

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