Essay Sample on Blood Donation

Introduction

In December 2012, I started my job as a nurse in the blood bank donation area at King Fahad Specialist Hospital in Dammam. It was my first job working as a nurse, and it transformed my life. I acquired some techniques which I may never learn in other departments, and I understood my job description within a short time. Working in the blood donation department opened up a big door for knowledge. My colleagues and I were always looking for young healthy donors. However, it was challenging to get many donors who were willing to visit the hospital, so it was paramount to seek for donors from a college and university without the hospital through mobile donation. Many students were enthusiastic about giving blood, but they were unaware of the related procedure. Inherently, I decided to interview Saleh Barnawi, a freshman student at The University of Kansas. Barnawi was a longtime donor, and he explained to me how he learned about blood donation, his first experience, and his love for regular blood donation as will be highlighted herein.

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Barnawi was born in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh city. When he was three, he relocated to the United States with his parents following his mother's scholarship opportunity to complete her Ph.D. Four years later, his father got a scholarship to finish his master's degree, and that made Barnawi a permanent resident of the United States. I was impressed by the information that Barnawi had about blood donation since it was rare to find a young person who was as knowledgeable as him. Barnawi's first experience was in Saudi Arabia where he had to donate blood for his grandfather who needed an urgent blood transfusion. Barnawi said: "I had never thought about blood donation before, but if one of your family members needs help you will do your best to help them and I'm glad that I did. The experience was phenomenal and life-changing." Unfortunately, his grandfather passed away despite the donation. This occurrence did not kill his spirit of giving as indicated when he said: "I knew, after that, the importance of blood donation to many people like my grandfather. Several families are always waiting for someone to help." Listening to Barnawi's narration reminded me of Ellen DeGeneres sentiments: "Here are the values that I stand for: honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated and helping those in need. To me, those are traditional values."

His second experience was in the United States where he found blood donating mobile camp in a mall. Since he was already acquainted with the procedure for giving blood, he was not hesitant. Barnawi felt as though that was his first experience since he was under no obligation as it was a personal choice. He said: "There is nothing complex or terrifying about donating blood; in fact, the donation staff is more concerned about our health." Accordingly, a potential blood donor has to undergo some medical check-up which includes the inspection of one's vital signs and hemoglobin level. Afterward, the donor is interviewed by one of the donation team, and the whole procedure takes a maximum of 30 minutes. When the blood collected, it goes to a couple pressing which separates it to red blood cells, plasma, and platelets. According to Cohn, "Almost half a liter of blood is taken and collected directly into the bag. These not only allow the blood to be transported easily but later on the plasma, red blood cells, white cells and platelets all can be divided and extracted automatically at a processing center for specific blood component therapies" (29). "You can say it is a free checkup for your body. I have never waited more than 30 minutes for any of my donations," said Barnawi.

Barnawi's donation in the United States was revolutionary since he became more focused and active in school. Also, he started sleeping soundly. These improvements are expected since donating blood allows the body to eliminate the old red blood cells and replaces them with new red blood cells. Borreli, in Why Donating Blood Is Good For Your Health, states that "You can reduce your blood viscosity by donating blood on a regular basis, which eliminates the iron that may possibly oxidize in your blood. An increase in oxidative stress can be damaging to your cardiovascular system."

Further, Barnawi said: "I became a regular donor when I knew that my blood type was rare. Every three months I visit blood bank." He has an O-negative blood type which is difficult to find. Since the blood banks keep a record of the donors' blood types, Barnawi is called after every three months to implore him for another donation. Barnawi said: "Can you imagine that with a small amount of blood you can save another person's life?'' Barnawi does not only donate blood in the United States but also makes a point of doing the same whenever he visits Saudi Arabia. He said: "I never stopped donating; you can find a blood bank everywhere on earth." Blood donating has become a habit hence his awareness of the importance and need for blood everywhere.

Conclusion

It was from Barnawi's grandfather's need for a blood transfusion that he became aware of blood donation. That experience showed him the significant benefits of the contribution and he made it a habit and a hobby worth loving. Barnawi enthusiastically said: "The donor can donate every two months, but I denote every three months. Donating in fewer than two months can lead to adverse effects, but I wish that I can do it monthly." His views are supported by Cohen who opines that everything has the good and the bad, but when it comes to donating blood the good is dominant; "people nevertheless generally see the service in very positive terms'' (28). Barnawi's interview made me recognize that young adults should be encouraged to give blood. A bag of blood can rescue three lives. The blood donation procedure is as safe as it is not time-consuming.

Works Cited

Borreli , Lizette. "Why Donating Blood Is Good For Your Health.", May 30, 2013

Cohn, Simon. "Blood and the Public Body: A Study of UK Blood Donation and Research Participation." Critical Public Health, vol. 26, no. 1, Feb. 2016, pp. 24-35. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/09581596.2015.1008997.