Every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood in some sort of way. Whether that be for surgical patients, premature infants, people treated for trauma, transplants, cancer patients; the list continues. Each patient depends on blood as a part of their cure, and in critical situations, some need it from other sources because their body can’t provide the necessary requirements to maintain their health. 

On Friday, October 11, Scott Dill, senior, donated blood for the 16th time, making him the first student involved in the DeGowin Blood Center to do so. 

“Usually, every week I go to DeGowin, and they take my platelets out and give it to cancer patients at the University Hospitals,” said Dill.  

Anyone with good health, 17 years or older, and over 110 pounds is eligible to give blood. When donating, you can choose between platelets or whole blood. Platelets are the cells formed from bone marrow that recognize damaged blood cells and aid in being the glue to stop bleeding by forming blood clots. If a patient has a low level of platelets, they might have excessive bleeding if they experience a cut. 

About 38% of platelet donations are used for cancer patients. For patients with cancer, platelets are crucial after chemotherapy drugs that affect bone marrow health and decrease blood level production. Radiation and surgery also lead to a loss in blood volume and require replacement. 

At the DeGowin Blood Center, patients get notified when their donation is being used. 

“[I]t’s something I just program into my schedule because it’s something that just makes you feel good about yourself. They’ll tell you when your [blood] is getting used,” said Dill. 

Dill has a bigger and deeper meaning behind his efforts. 

“There was a blood drive at Liberty last fall and I donated my first time then. I didn’t do it very much after that until my brother got really sick, he was in the hospital for over a month,” Dill explains.

“I hated knowing the feeling of having a family member and there’s nothing you can do, but I know now that there actually is something that I can do to help other families.”  

Dill is the first Liberty student to donate blood 8 or more times and will receive a red cord at graduation.