MBU News

Superman or Super-Student?

October 11, 2007

By Kasey Bartley

Saving three lives in a single day sounds like a job for a Marvel superhero. But for Alyssa Downs, a sophomore Speech-Theatre Education major, it has been a yearly occurrence.

Missouri Baptist University teamed up with St. John’s Mercy Medical Center again last Tuesday, Oct. 9, to offer the annual “Fall Blood Drive.” This year, 43 students, faculty and staff rolled up their sleeves for the event.

Downs, who has given a pint four times since her senior year of high school, knows that 30 minutes of her time is well worth the effort. “It goes to a good cause, and it doesn’t put me out anything.”

If you’re wondering how one pint of blood could possibly save three lives, Tracey Huitt, an MBU alumna who is training to be a medical assistant, explains: “Blood is generally divided into three units: red cells, plasma, and platelets. Red cells are used on cancer patients as well as any sort of emergency in which a person has lost blood. These cells are used 98 percent of the time and are, as a result, in the highest demand. Plasma can be used at any time, but it’s associated with the treatment of burn victims. Platelets, used in the treatment of cancer patients, cause clotting and stops bleeding.”

If you were unable to attend and still wish to donate, you can contact St. John’s Mercy Medical Center’s Blood Donor Services at 314-251-4483.

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