PITTSBORO — “I just wanted to help people,” Nathan Davis said of his decision a couple of months ago to donate blood.
“I saw there was a blood drive nearby,” the 16-year-old Northwood High School junior said, “and I jumped on it.”
Athletic and fit, the high school wrestler said the experience — it was his first time rolling up his sleeve for the American Red Cross to give, as the organization says, the gift of life — was a positive one, though he felt a “little loopy,” he admitted, after donating his first pint.
“But I was happy with it,” Davis said, “and it was a good experience, definitely. I was glad I did it.”
And, already anticipating his school’s annual blood drive, he’s planning to do it again.
Davis’ altruistic instinct to donate the life-saving commodity comes naturally. His mother, Beth Barrickman Davis of Pittsboro, is a frequent and longtime donor of blood and platelets. The teenager says he drew inspiration for his decision to step up and donate from her example.
“I know there’s a big need for blood donations,” he said, “and I wanted to help, too.”
In a way, though, the teenager played a significant role in his mother’s decision — shortly after he was born in 2003 — to become a blood donor.
“I figured if I could take natural childbirth,” she said, “I could handle this. I could take the needles and donating blood.”
She was right — she could handle it — and she’s been donating blood on a regular basis, just about every 56 days, since.
“I try to donate, too, if there’s been a disaster,” she said. “
She’s also a frequent donor of platelets.
“It’s my way of giving back,” she said, “and sharing the gift of life. Some people donate money. This is something I’m able to do. To know you’re helping somebody to have another day is important to me.”
The need for blood donations is constant, say officials with the American Red Cross, the humanitarian organization that shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; teaches life-saving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and also supplies approximately 40 percent of the nation’s blood.
But officials with the organization note, the need for blood is particularly keen during the holiday season.
“Busy holiday schedules make it difficult for the American Red Cross to collect enough blood to meet those patient needs,” said Maya Franklin, external communications manager for the American Red Cross. “Donors of all blood types, especially type O, are urgently needed.”
“Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, more than one million units of blood could be transfused in the United States,” she said. “Individuals are urged to give a lifesaving gift this holiday season by making an appointment to donate blood or platelets and help the American Red Cross ensure a sufficient supply is available for patients throughout the holiday season.”
The process of giving blood to “be the lifeline patients need,” Franklin said, takes about an hour
“For me, it’s a way to relax,” said Beth Barrickman Davis.
Another side benefit, she said, is the “mini-physical” donors receive before they give blood.
“One time,” she said, “my iron level was low and I wasn’t able to donate.”
Initially a donor through the American Red Cross, she now donates blood and platelets regularly through UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill and said she finds the entire process — there’s snacks for donors and wi-fi, allowing her to multi-task with work while she donates — positive and rewarding.
She posts on Facebook after her donations, hoping to encourage others to do the same.
“Hopefully I’m a good role model,” she said.
She said she’s proud of her son for his decision to become a blood donor, a decision he reached without any suggestions from his mother.
“He did it all on his own,” she said. “I was proud of him.”
The Red Cross says all blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. For those who want to help, Red Cross officials say, donating is easy. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Two opportunities remain this month to donate blood in Chatham County: from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 24, at Chatham County Rescue Squad, 201 S. Second Ave., Siler City; and from 2 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 28, at Siler City Presbyterian Church, 720 W. Third Street.
Randall Rigsbee can be reached at rigsbee@chathamnr.com.