Experienced donors give tips for upcoming blood drive

Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to participate in the blood drive, Feb. 26, hosted by the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Cate Zenzen  |  02/21/2020

Lipscomb University is a community of selfless leaders. Through mission trips, service projects, fundraisers and events, students, faculty and staff are eager to give their time, money, and even themselves. Each semester, Lipscomb’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences sponsors a blood drive with the American Red Cross to give the community an opportunity to donate.

This year, the drive will be Wed, Feb 26 from 12:30 to 4:30pm in the A.M. Burton Health Sciences Center. This event is specifically for members of the Lipscomb Community. To donate at the upcoming blood drive or learn more about the process, visit redcrossblood.org and use sponsor code: Lipscomb19.

Several faculty and staff at Lipscomb have made a habit of giving beyond this annual event. Phillip Brackett, Tech Specialist, and Autumn Marshall, Chair of Nutrition and Kinesiology, are frequent donors. In their lifetimes, Brackett has donated 81 pints and Marshall 63 pints. Both consider donating blood to be an easy way to help the community. 

“Giving blood is important because there are so many people in need, and blood is not something we can synthesize outside the body. I’m a dietitian, and if I have a patient who is iron-deficient, I can give an iron supplement. Blood is different; if that same patient loses blood during surgery, you can’t just run to the pharmacy and pick up a bottle of blood to use for them. It has to come from people who are willing to give of themselves,” said Marshall.

Brackett has been donating since high school, and having worked in EMS and Search and Rescue, he has seen first-hand the patients who benefit from donations. 

“My mother, sister, and wife all have the rarest blood type, AB. Knowing this about my mom at an early age made me aware of the need, as she was on call when I was young because the need for her blood type was specific then,” said Brackett.

As seasoned donors, Brackett and Marshall say giving is easy with the right preparation. Brackett recommends first-time donors to go with a friend, talk to the person taking the blood, or to listen to music. He said he usually listens to podcasts to pass the time, but also finds it fun to watch and learn during the process. 

Marshall gets ready to donate the night before by consuming meat, a good source of Vitamin C and fructose. She says a good meal is important the day of as well, but not right before the donation as all the blood will run to the stomach for digestion. 

“Preparing to give blood means eating well, staying hydrated, and feeling well the day you donate. If I can do it, and I don’t like needles, anyone can do it!” said Marshall. 

“Giving blood is easy and fairly quick, why wouldn’t I give when the opportunity presents?” said Brackett. 

In the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Lipscomb University, students are taught the valuable skills to apply knowledge to rapidly changing situations and establish themselves as valuable, innovative leaders in the industry. Through Lipscomb’s pioneering interdisciplinary programs and experiential education, students learn creative problem-solving, quick and efficient priority-setting and compassionate care. A selection of residency programs in various health fields throughout Middle Tennessee and dual degree opportunities in informatics and management will prepare students to navigate some of the most in-demand areas of health care.