JACKSON, Miss.–If you have never donated blood because you’re scared of needles, now may be the time to “man up” and go for it. The people at Mississippi Blood Services told News Mississippi that this is the time of year when you can do the most good.
“The summer is really difficult for us,” said Todd Sing, vice-president of donations. “Twenty, thirty percent of our blood comes from colleges and high schools, so we don’t ave those to draw on.”
The organization was holding a special Father’s Day blood drive this week but you can donate anytime.
“You’ve got a lot of folks traveling, lots of accidents. If you’re going on vacation, before you go, y need to put this on the list and come out and help.”
So, knowing that it could help save someone’s life, I decided to roll up my sleeve and donate Thursday. Admittedly, the prick of the needle does hurt a little bit. But, the phlemotobists are pros and they can find your vein right away, in most cases.
My donation took about 30 minutes. I gave whole blood. Platelet donations take somewhat longer.
Check out this website to find out if you are eligible to donate: http://www.msblood.com/
