Abby Demeulenare, a sophomore at Brandywine donates blood for the first time at a blood drive at Brandywine High School Wednesday. Leader Photo/AMBROSIA NELDON

Every two seconds, every day of the year, a patient needs a blood transfusion. Students at Brandywine High School are eager to do their part to help combat this issue.
Brandywine High School’s contribution to solving this issue is hosting a number of blood drives each year. The school’s student senate has been working since the beginning of the school year to plan the school’s 15th blood drive, which was held Wednesday in the high school’s library.
According to the Michigan Blood Bank website, approximately one out of every seven Americans who enter a hospital will need blood, and 4.5 million Americans would die without the transfusions.
“One person who donates blood saves three lives,” said Danielle Low, a senior and student senate member at Brandywine. “We do three blood drives a year and it’s kind of like our focus through the entire year.”
Over the course of the last five and a half years, Brandywine students have collected 544 units of blood, potentially saving up to 1,632 recipients, which is almost four times the current student body (416).
Morgan Dunnuck, a 17 year-old senate member, donated for her fifth time today.
“Now you can donate when you’re 16 if you have a parent’s consent,” she said. Previously, students had to be 17 years-old to donate blood.
Dunnuck said the American Red Cross provides $5 incentives for students who donate in three consecutive blood drives.
The Michigan Blood Bank is an independent organization separate from the American Red Cross and health departments. Michigan Blood ensures that the need for blood in Michigan is met before donating blood to any other facilities outside of the state.
Brandywine will host two more blood drives before the end of the school year, with dates to be determined. All blood drives hosted by Brandywine High School are open to the public.
Anyone who is 17 or older (or 16 with parental consent), and weighs over 110 pounds is eligible to attempt to donate. Other health requirements and background information is collected at the donor sites to determine donor eligibility.
To find locations of more blood drives hosted by the Michigan Blood Bank, visit www.miblood.org.