I was given the opportunity to document the Cloverdale High School blood drive on September 13th, 2022, and interview some of the people involved.
I started by asking questions of Dylan Tiedemann, a student that goes to Cloverdale. My first question was, “Did you enjoy this experience?” His response was, “I’m genuinely happy to give blood.” Next, I asked, “Would you recommend this to anybody else?” His response was, “Yes, blood is important.” As you can see, he has a very positive attitude about the event, and you should too. Honestly, anyone who donates blood should feel like a hero.
Next, I asked a team lead named Robert Harris, “What is it exactly that you do?” He answered, “I set up and get the staff ready for a functioning blood day.” “How long do these events take?” Robert informed me that it can vary. “It depends on how many donors come in, but most high school drives take 4-5 hours.” Last, I asked about the importance of giving blood. “It is highly important,” said Robert. “We can’t get enough of it. Think of something like a motorcycle accident and someone needs 10 units of blood. There are so many occasions we need blood so we will always be out here. No one truly thinks of how much it’s needed until they need it.” I believe Robert is a real modern-day hero. Anyone who takes the time out of their day to give someone a fighting chance should be seen that way.
Next, I interviewed Daphanie Geiger, a student who was signing people in at registration. “Are you donating blood?” I asked. She told me she was not. “Is there any reason you aren’t?” “I have a cross-country meet tonight,” she replied. “It’s not good. It takes energy from your performance.” I asked Daphanie if she would donate blood if she did not have the meet. “I mean honestly, I really haven’t thought about it.” I thought it was interesting to look at this from an athlete’s point of view.
Finally, I interviewed a phlebotomist named Dana Chang. “Do you like your job and what you do?” I asked. “I do; I love it,” she replied.” Dana showed a lot of enthusiasm about the blood drive. “How many people usually show up to help?” I asked. “Typically, we have between 4 and 15 staff and, in a high school of this size, usually about 20-50 people donate.” “That seems like a low number of people donating,” I said, “would you prefer more people?” Of course, Dana expressed that she would love a higher turnout. I enjoyed getting to talk to her about the profession and what she and her team do for everyone.