Carmel Catholic students donate to Vitalant blood drive

"It's a simple gesture that can save so many people's lives," Carmel Catholic High School senior Nic Sarkis of Mundelein said. "It's not that tough to do, and it helps so many people."

Sarkis was talking about the Vitalant blood drive the school hosted Oct. 17, one which resulted in 102 Carmel students taking time out of their daily schedules to participate. Another 18 showed up to donate, but for various reasons were deferred.

"I was like a lot of students before my first blood donation, afraid of the needle, but once you do it you realize just how easy and painless it is," Sarkis said.

Coordinated by the school's student council, the drive had juniors and seniors packing the school gym for six straight hours while phlebotomists working for Vitalant helped calm nerves of many first-time donors, while chatting with others who have previously donated.

Records indicate that Carmel Catholic has worked with Vitalant (formerly LifeSource) dating back to around 2011, and students have since donated enough blood to impact more than 8,000 lives.

According to Vitalant, every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. Blood has a shelf life of 42 days for red blood cells and just five days for platelets. Although an estimated 38 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate, less than 10 percent do.

And even with scientific advances being made in laboratories across the world every day, there still remains no substitute for blood.

"It's really nice to see everyone willing to donate," said senior Will Nonnenmacher of Gurnee. "They feel really proud of themselves afterward, and they should. It says a lot about the community we have here at Carmel. We encourage each other to do these community projects, whether it's donating blood or gathering together at Feed My Starving Children. We're really just one big family."

"It also shows that Carmel isn't just focused on the community inside the school but more of that outreach community," senior student council member Erin Tutaj of Third Lake said.

"We take on the Carmel value of mission and strive to reach out to Mundelein and our surrounding areas and bring what we can."

One unit of blood can be separated into several components: red blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body organs and tissues and live about 120 days in the circulatory system. Platelets promote blood clotting and give those with leukemia and other cancers a chance to live.

"We're so proud of all the Carmel Catholic students who came out and contributed," Vitalant Regional Vice President Eva Quinley said.

"It's the blood already on the shelf that helps in an emergency, and it's crucial for Vitalant to maintain a safe and ready supply at all times. It only takes about an hour to save up to three lives by giving blood. Thanks to Carmel Catholic High School, we saved upward of 450 lives today."

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